Essay Example - Rape and Sexual Assaults

Sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs to a person without their consent. Rape is a form of sexual assault (Weiss 275). For Uniform Reports FBI defines rape as the penetration no matter how slight it might be done to someone's body with a body part or an object or infiltration of sex organ of another person without the consent of the victim (Weiss 275). Force does not always refer to the physical pressure but also the emotional coercion. Some of the perpetrators threaten the victim on what they might do to them. This paper explores various instances of rape and sexual assaults. It also explains the consequences of rape and sexual assaults in the society.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Research shows that consent must take place between two adults who are not damaged and can change at the time of the sexual act. There are six types of sexual assaults; childhood sexual abuse, which an adult or an adolescence order abuse a child due to sexual stimulation. It involves pressuring the child to engage in sexual activities without minding about the outcome. Acts such as displaying phonographic materials to the child, engaging in sexual contact with the child, or using a child to produce child pornography.

Effects of abuse on children include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as a health condition that is triggered by certain terrifying events such as flashbacks and severe strain of uncontrollable thoughts (Lawyer et al. 455). Research shows that in the United States, 15-20 percent of women and 10% of men were sexually abused when they were children. Due to the abusive nature of the assault, most psychological damages to children are committed by parents (Lawyer et al. 456). The second type is domestic violence, which is the abuse of one person against another may be in a relationship, marriage, or cohabitation. This type of sexual assault can be emotional, psychological, or financial.

The third type is the elderly sexual assault, which is the victimization of a person who is over 60years of age. Some of the elderly can be suffering may be from mental functionality, frailty, or may have some weakness. Most of the cases reported in the United States in 2016, showed at least 20% of people were aged victims with over 65 years of age (Lawyer et al. 458). Groping is another type of sexual assault which is defined as touching or sexually fondling another person without their consent. Groping may occur on a special occasion where the victim may fall under clothing or over the dress. Rape is therefore related to all these types of sexual assault, which is a non-consensual activity as well (Lawyer et al. 459). However, many percentages of rape cases in the United States are committed to females. These rape incidents may be committed by a friend, a coworker, a dating partner, maybe a husband or ex-boyfriend, as reported to Criminal Investigation Units in the United States.

Sexual harassment is the bullying or intimidation of a sexual nature. It is a form of discrimination which violets the law and the right of a person. However, these types of sexual assaults may have emotional, physical, economic, post-traumatic mistreatment of victims, and medical and psychological effects (Weiss 285). Emotionally, the physical trauma of rapes leads to long term emotional effects and particularly in children. These may include self-blame, anger, shame, nightmares, depression, loneliness, and social anxiety. Sexual assaults lead to posttraumatic disorder. It also leads to physical trauma, especially with the struggles, bruising, and battling the victim might experience during the act (Weiss 290). In many cases of rape other than that of sexual assaults, the argument is always whether the parties were involved in sexual activity. The consideration is whether the parties were in consensus or could do so.

Economically, there are many impacts of income and commerce costs incurred after child abuse. As reported in many hospitals in the United States, loss of medication, medical health care, and the provision of other services while restoring the quality of life damaged (Rennison, 2012) Due to the assaults, the survivor needs some time off work, which reduces the rates of working. The charges are associated with negative employment consequences, including unpaid overtime, diminished work performance, inability to work as well as lowering the survivors' earnings. Post-traumatic stress disorder is defined as a health condition that is triggered by certain terrifying events such as flashbacks and severe anxiety of uncontrollable thoughts (Rennison, 2012).

However, sexual assaults and rape can be prevented in many places from secondary schools, college at places of work, and in other public programs. Women are considered more vulnerable to sexual assault and rape more than men. Introducing studies that support how some tempting circumstances can be avoided is an essential thing (Lawyer et al. 460). Although some scholars argue that if a grown-up is sexually assaulted, reporting the case immediately to the police is not always the help. One may choose to keep quiet if they don't want to say the matter. Then they may take time to think about what happened.

Doctors and other medical practitioners' advice that considering getting medical help as soon the act happened is very wise. This will reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The victim should not try to change the clothes immediately after the sexual assault. This may destroy the evidence, and this might be very important when deciding the report of the case of charge to the police. A medical examination must be taken after the police refer one to a sexual assault center.

Information about the case is kept as confidential as possible. However, such information may be disclosed in the case where the police are continuing with the investigation, and they need the materials to be revealed in the court (Greenfeld, 2011). If there is no need for prosecution, then the information about the victim would not be shared with any permission unless there is a significant concern that might cause serious harm (Greenfeld, 2011).

In other cases, those who commit these sexual assaults may not be known, and in most cases, they intimate the partner in violence (Coxell et al. 297). Although the victim might not be the perpetrator, these types of sexual abuse is referred to as stranger rape. It can occur differently; first, Blitz sexual assault occurs when the perpetrator quickly and brutally assaults the victim with no prior contact (Coxell et al. 298). This might be at night and in a public place. Secondly, contact sexual assault, which occurs when the perpetrator tries to gain trust by flirting or luring the victim may be into their car, and in that case, the sexual assault occurs. Thirdly, home invasion sexual assault occurs when a stranger sneaks into someone's house or home and commits the crime (Coxell et al. 306).

In conclusion, I have observed that traumatic thinking about an event can lead to a long term post-traumatic stress disorder and may come about as a result of sexual assault. You find out survivors of stranger sexual assaults might blame themselves for having behaved in a certain way before the act. It is important to remember that the victim is never to condemn the actions of the perpetrator. So we need to get support to prevent these stress reactions. The help from friends or family is so helpful, and they prevent our turning to unhealthy thinking and coping; hence can cause wrong thinking after sexual assaults.

Works Cited

Coxell, Adrian W., and Michael B. King. "Male victims of rape and sexual abuse." Sexual and Marital Therapy 11.3 (1996): 297-308.

Greenfeld, Lawrence A. Sex offenses and offenders: An analysis of data on rape and sexual assault. US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 2011.

Kilpatrick, Dean G. "Rape and sexual assault." National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina (2015).

Lawyer, Steven, et al. "Forcible, drug-facilitated, and incapacitated rape and sexual assault among undergraduate women." Journal of American College Health 58.5 (2010): 453-460.

Rennison, Callie Marie. Rape and sexual assault: Reporting to police and medical attention, 1992-2000. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 2012.

Weiss, Karen G. "Male sexual victimization: Examining men's experiences of rape and sexual assault." Men and Masculinities 12.3 (2010): 275-298.