Sexual Assault against Females
A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet
By Sue Orsillo, Ph.D.
Although anyone - men, women, and children - can be assaulted, this fact
sheet will focus on adult female victims of sexual assault.
What is sexual assault?
Sexual assault is defined as any sort of sexual activity between two or more
people in which one of the people is involved against his or her will.
The sexual activity involved in an assault can include many different experiences.
Women can be the victims of unwanted touching, grabbing, oral sex, anal sex,
sexual penetration with an object, and/or sexual intercourse.
There are a lot of ways that women can be involved in sexual activity against
their will. The force used by the aggressor can be either physical or non-physical.
Some women are forced or pressured into having sex with someone who has some
form of authority over them (e.g., doctor, teacher, boss). Women can be bribed
or manipulated into sexual activity against their will. Others may be unable
to give their consent because they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In some cases, the sexual aggressor threatens to hurt the woman or people that
she cares about. Finally, some assaults include physical force or violence.
Who commits sexual assaults?
Often, when we think about who commits sexual assault or rape, we imagine
the aggressor is a stranger to the victim. Contrary to popular belief, sexual
assault does not typically occur between strangers. The National Crime
Victimization Survey, conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, found that
76% of sexually assaulted women were attacked by a current or former husband,
cohabitating partner, friend, or date. Strangers committed only 18% of the
assaults that were reported in this survey.
How often do sexual assaults happen?
Estimating rates of sexual violence against women is a difficult task. Many
factors stop women from reporting these crimes to police and to interviewers
collecting statistics on the rate of crime in our country. Women may not want
to report that they were assaulted because it is such a personal experience,
because they blame themselves, because they are afraid of how others may react,
and because they do not think it is useful to make such a report. However,
there are statistics that demonstrate the magnitude of this problem in our
country. For instance, a large-scale study conducted on several college
campuses found that 20% of women reported that they had been raped in their
lifetime. Another national study found that approximately 13-17% of women
living in the U.S. have been the victims of completed rape, and an additional
14% of women were the victims of another form of sexual assault. The National
Crime Victimization Survey estimated that 500,000 sexual assaults occurred in
the U.S. from 1992 to 1993. Of those assaults, about one third were completed
rapes and an additional 28% were attempted rapes.
What happens to women after they are sexually assaulted?
After a sexual assault, women can experience a wide range of reactions. It
is extremely important to note that there is no one pattern of response. Some
women respond immediately, others may have delayed reactions. Some women are
affected by the assault for a long time whereas others appear to recover rather
quickly.
In the early stages, many women report feeling shock, confusion, anxiety,
and/or numbness. Sometimes women will experience feelings of denial. In other
words, they may not fully acknowledge what has happened to them or they may
downplay the intensity of the experience. This reaction may be more common
among women who are assaulted by someone they know.
What are some early reactions to sexual assault?
In the first few days and weeks following the assault, it is very normal for
a woman to experience intense and sometimes unpredictable emotions. She may
have repeated strong memories of the event that are difficult to ignore, and
nightmares are not uncommon. Women also report having difficulty concentrating
and sleeping, and they may feel jumpy or on edge. While these initial reactions
are normal and expected, some women may experience severe, highly disruptive
symptoms that make it incredibly difficult to function in the first month following
the assault. When these problems disrupt the woman's daily life, and prevent
her from seeking assistance or telling friends and family members, the woman
may have Acute Stress Disorder (ASD). Symptoms of ASD include:
- Feeling numb and detached, like being in a daze or a
dream, or feeling that the world is strange and unreal
- Difficulty remembering important parts of the assault
- Reliving the assault through repeated thoughts,
memories, or nightmares
- Avoidance of things (places, thoughts, feelings) that
remind the woman of the assault
- Anxiety or increased arousal (e.g., difficulty
sleeping, concentrating, etc.)
What are some other reactions that women have following a sexual assault?
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common reaction following sexual assault.
Symptoms of MDD can include a depressed mood, an inability to enjoy things,
difficulty sleeping, changes in patterns of sleeping and eating, problems in
concentration and decision-making, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, and decreased
self-esteem. Research suggests that almost 1/3 of all rape victims have at least
one period of MDD during their lives. And for many of these women, the depression
can last for a long period of time. Thoughts about suicide are also common.
Studies estimate that 1/3 of women who are raped contemplate suicide, and 17%
of rape victims actually attempt suicide.
Many victims of sexual assault report struggling with anger after the assault.
Although this is a natural reaction to such a violating event, there is some
research that suggests that prolonged, intense anger can interfere with the
recovery process and further disrupt a woman's life.
Shame and guilt are common reactions to sexual assault. Some women
blame themselves for what has happened or feel shameful about being an assault
victim. This reaction can be even stronger among women who are assaulted by
someone that they know, or who do not receive support from their friends,
family, or authorities, following the incident. Shame and guilt can also get in
the way of a woman's recovery by preventing her from telling others about what
happened and getting assistance.
Social problems can sometimes arise following a sexual assault. A
woman can experience problems in her marital relationship or in her
friendships. Sometimes an assault survivor will be too anxious or depressed to
want to participate in social activities. Many women report difficulty trusting
others after the assault, so it can be difficult to develop new relationships.
Performance at work and school can also be affected.
Sexual problems can be among the most long-standing problems
experienced by women who are the victims of sexual assault. Women can be afraid
of and try to avoid any sexual activity; they may experience an overall
decrease in sexual interest and desire.
Alcohol and drug use can sometimes become problematic for women who
are the victims of assault. A large-scale study found that compared to
non-victims, rape survivors were 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana, 6
times more likely to use cocaine, and 10 times more likely to use other major
drugs. Often, women will report that they use these substances to control other
symptoms related to their assault.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) involves a pattern of symptoms that some
individuals develop after experiencing a traumatic event such as sexual assault.
Symptoms of PTSD include repeated thoughts of the assault; memories and nightmares;
avoidance of thoughts, feelings, and situations related to the assault; and
increased arousal (e.g., difficulty sleeping and concentrating, jumpiness, irritability).
One study that examined PTSD symptoms among women who were raped found that
94% of women experienced these symptoms during the two weeks immediately following
the rape. Nine months later, about 30% of the women were still reporting this
pattern of symptoms. The National Women's Study reported that almost 1/3 of
all rape victims develop PTSD sometime during their lives and 11% of rape victims
currently suffer from the disorder.
What should I do if I have been sexually assaulted? Where can I go for
help?
If you were sexually assaulted and are experiencing symptoms that are distressing
to you, or symptoms that are interfering with your ability to live a fulfilling
and productive life, we urge you to talk to a mental-health professional. Depending
on the nature of the problems that you are having, a number of therapeutic techniques
may be extremely helpful to you.
The treatment you receive will depend on the symptoms you are experiencing
and will be tailored to your needs. Some therapies involve talking about and
making sense of the assault in order to reduce the memories and pain associated
with the assault. Attending therapy may also involve learning skills to cope
with the symptoms associated with the assault. Finally, therapy can help
survivors restore meaning to their lives.
Unfortunately, sexual assault is fairly prevalent in our society today. Survivors
of sexual assault can experience a wide variety of symptoms, but they do not
have to suffer in silence. Mental-health professionals can offer a number of
effective treatments tailored to the individual woman's needs. We urge you to
seek help today.
Related Fact Sheets
Associated problems
Problems that commonly co-occur with PTSD
Treatment options
This fact sheet provides an in-depth overview of treatment options for those
with PTSD
What is PTSD?
Answers basic questions about the signs and symptoms of PTSD, who gets it,
how common it is, and what treatments are available
Women
and sexual trauma
A fact sheet for medical providers working with women who have a history of
sexual trauma
National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Links
WomensHealth.gov sexual assault page
the US government source for women's health information
David Baldwin's Trauma Information Pages
http://www.trauma-pages.com
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
http://www.rainn.org/
National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center
http://www.nvaw.org/
National Center for Victims of Crime
http://www.nvc.org/http://www.ncvc.org/
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