Sexual assault or sexual violence ranges from using uncomfortable words to rape with so much in between.
Sexual assault does not discriminate. There is no completely safe haven left. From family to friends to known people to strangers. It does not depend on a relationship.
The Problem
Estimates published by WHO indicate that globally about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
In addition to intimate partner violence, globally 6% of women report having been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner. Intimate partner and sexual violence are mostly perpetrated by men against women.
One of the major reasons for this could be the idea of masculinity. masculinity, is a set of socially constructed expectations for how men and boys should behave, look, experience and express emotions.
Men who try to be who they are without conforming to the gender norms and the norms of masculinity are termed as feminine. in order to escape the associated shame and humility comes along, men begin to suppress the sensitive side of theirs and start adhering to these norms.
The men with traditional conditioning who believe that they need to suppress women and other men practice hegemonic masculinity. This type of masculinity makes them conform to their described gender roles and they tend to use violence to accomplish their sexual goals.
The nebulous nature of these masculine gender roles lead to frequent gender role violations which are met with various interpersonal repercussions such as ridicule, ostracism and bullying.
These role violations drive and motivate attempts of conforming potentially hyper conformity, to avoid the gender role violations.
Other factors for both intimate partner and sexual violence include:
lower levels of education (perpetration of sexual violence and experience of sexual violence);
a history of exposure to child maltreatment (perpetration and experience);
witnessing family violence (perpetration and experience);
antisocial personality disorder (perpetration);
harmful use of alcohol (perpetration and experience);
harmful masculine behaviours, including having multiple partners or attitudes that condone violence (perpetration);
community norms that privilege or ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women;
low levels of women’s access to paid employment; and
low level of gender equality (discriminatory laws, etc.).
beliefs in family honour and sexual purity;
ideologies of male sexual entitlement; and
weak legal sanctions for sexual violence.
In India, we began to shed light on sexual assault against women aggressively, after the Nirbhaya incident in 2012. This incident even forced the government to pass Criminal law amendment bill, 2013.
The Social Shame
According to a report by UN women. It is quoted that only 11% of sexual assaults are reported.
This is because of certain beliefs related to sexual assault. One such and the most prevalent is 'victim blaming'. This is one of the biggest repercussions of reporting as after one reports a crime, it is out there for people to talk about. People blame the victim instead of the perpetrator.
This victim blaming effects a person in more possible ways than one including long lasting effect on a persons mental health. People who have gone through this experience generally report that they don’t feel their body as their own. They develop certain feeling of shame or guilt, they socially isolate themselves, and even face problems while sleeping due to nightmares and flashbacks.
The Lingering Effects
The immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation, fear, and an inability to trust—can translate into lifelong consequences, including poor mental health and behavioral health outcomes and increased risk for substance use disorder.
When something as traumatic as sexual assault occurs, the effects that follow can include a whirlwind of mixed emotions and consequently long-lasting mental health problems.
Some of the most common psychological effects sexual assault victims experience include:
Feelings of shame or guilt
Social isolation or withdrawal
Problems sleeping
Eating disorders
Flashbacks or nightmares
Avoidance of certain places/things related to the event
Anxiety disorders
PTSD
Depression and suicidal thoughts or actions
The impact of sexual assault is not just shown on their physical body but it also wounds their mental and emotional health. Sexual violence, particularly during childhood, can lead to increased smoking, substance use, and risky sexual behaviours. It is also associated with perpetration of violence (for males) and being a victim of violence (for females).
Path Ahead
Having understood about the problems that survivors face, talking about the coping strategies becomes important.
In 2019, WHO and UN Women with endorsement from 12 other UN and bilateral agencies published RESPECT women – a framework for preventing violence against women aimed at policy makers.
Each letter of RESPECT stands for one of seven strategies: Relationship skills strengthening; Empowerment of women; Services ensured; Poverty reduced; Enabling environments (schools, work places, public spaces) created; Child and adolescent abuse prevented; and Transformed attitudes, beliefs and norms.
Providers who have been sexually assaulted need to be aware of the impact and should be well versed in understanding sexual violence and trauma.
If you know someone who has gone through this, then you should know that whatever the person is feeling is completely justified and there is no particular timeline on when a person will start feeling better. Any negative reactions from friends, family and professionals may increase the risk of mental health problems. It therefore becomes the prime responsibility of those who truly care to be cautious in dealing with such cases.
Trauma, specialists and therapist or particularly trained in dealing with such critical cases and use specific tools, techniques and mechanisms to help the survivors to deal with the trauma and learn coping mechanisms that can help them lead a normal day to day life. Seeking professional help in the form of therapy or counselling can help in multiple ways to cope.
Therapy is a confidential, non-judgemental place to work through challenges. The counsellor or the therapist will help you deal with your feelings, identify new coping strategies and help you manage your stress.
Sexual assault is one of the most common crimes happening in our society today. It wounds the person mentally. The least we can do is to listen, be empathetic and provide support to help cope.
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