Effects of Sexual Assault

The Effects of Sexual Assault on Sexual Assault Victims
Name
Institutional Affiliation
2016

Introduction
Quinn (2005) contends that sexual assault falls among the leading types of gender-based violence, discrimination, and segregation. Although the world has made substantial achievements in the fight of all forms of gender-based violence, cases of sexual assault are still recurring not only in the developing but also the developed countries. Canada provides a primary example of a country that is still facing challenges associated with different forms of sexual assault both at the workplace and in real life situations (Sawa& Ward, 2015). Seemingly, efforts enforced at the local, state and global level are proving to be less effective in attaining the desired goals.
Advocates of these endeavors acknowledge their substantial achievements and show a strong belief that their continuous implementation will be successful fruits as expected in the future. However, system critiques cite poor execution and lack of sufficient commitment among policy informant teams as the primary challenge (Holcomb & Holcomb, 2011). This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of sexual assault on the sexual assault victims. The paper lays a great focus on this topical issue by providing an overview of the worldwide and Canadian statistics regarding sexual assault accompanied by date rape and cases of campus sexual assault.
Statistics Regarding Sexual Assault in Canada and the Entire World
Bryant-Davis (2011) recognizes that sexual assault impacts the life of everyone in the society both directly and indirectly.

Global statistics indicate that every one in five women while one in 71 men experienced rape in their lifetime. Also, about 60 percent of the sexual assault victims know their strangers who are always their intimate partner, friend, or a relative. Nevertheless, this rate tends to be higher regarding the women raped or sexually harassed while in college (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016). A study conducted by a team from the CBC News regarding sexual assault in Canadian Universities demonstrated that over 700 sexual assaults occurred in Canadian colleges and universities over the previous five years (Sawa& Ward, 2015).
The survey also noted that these numbers varied widely from one school to another depending on the reporting capability of the school (CFS, 2015). It was found that Acadia University in Wolfville had the leading cases of sexual harassment upon the adjustment of the data for population. These numbers may indicate surprising results. Probably, institutions with the highest number of reported cases could mean that the management is doing a recommendable job by encouraging students to report. Contrary, colleges with the lowest numbers could mean that the administration has not yet empowered students to report (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016). Nevertheless, some universities such as Dalhousie University, Mount Allison University in Sackville, the University of Manitoba, and McGill University either declined to participate in the study or were partially engaged by hiding some information.
Globally, 79.6 percent of female cases occur among women below the age of 25 while approximately 42 percent of the total cases were raped before the age of 18 (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2014). As a result of this statistics, young people are highly at risk of experiencing sexual assault. Prospectively, Canada is recording a decline of crime rates reported. However, this could mean a negative trend in the reporting capability of those assaulted. Statistics show that a half of the women living in Canada have faced at least one incident of sexual abuse from the age of 16 while 67% ascertain that they know at least one woman who has encountered sexual assault (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016).
Effects of Sexual Assault
According to Canadian Women’s Foundation (2014), the national laws in collaboration with the guidelines provided by human right organizations acknowledge sexual assault as a personal and destructive crime. The effect of sexual abuse cuts across all sectors and affects both the assaulted victim and his or her loved. These results are comprehensive and include physical, psychological, and emotional impacts. It is critical to underscore the fact different victims have different ways of reacting to a sexual assault depending on one’s circumstances. These section analyses the most common effects of sexual assault experienced by its victims (Holcomb & Holcomb, 2011). These effects can be subdivided into two major groups; the short-term and long-term effects.
Short term/Acute Effects
Quinn (2005) adds that sexual assault incident can result in a nutshell term effects that may cease after a short while or progress into more aversive long-term effects. First, most of the survivors usually report cases of shame and guilt immediately after the occurrence of the incident. Shame entails personal thoughts that make survivors think that they are bad, dirty, or permanently wrong. Guilt makes the victims feel that the accident took place as a result of their fault and may permanently fail to bless the blame on the assassin (Sawa& Ward, 2015). The second short-term effect is the denial and minimizing effect.
In the former, victims feel that the incident was not that bad, it only occurred once and that they are fine, while in the latter they think that their experience was not that detrimental when compared to that of the others (Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016). Thirdly, a feeling of fear and shame may make the victims to set personal boundaries feeling that everywhere they may go unsafe. Additionally, such victims will find it difficult to trust any other personal, especially when approached from sex or marriage. The loss of confidence may affect the victim’s later years of development to the extent that she or he may not get married.
CFS (2015) identifies isolation as another short term effect as many of the victims particularly those from the marginalized communities usually fear to expose their encounter as a result of being subjected to more judgments. This effect is common because most of the victims have not only been stunned but also judged their respective families and the community as a whole (Bryant-Davis, 2011) wrongly. Amnesia which involves forgetting what happened in the later years is another effect that occurs mostly in children who have not yet developed language.
Contrary, dissociation may be common even when the victim is not being abused as a result of an event that reminds him or her of what happened. Anesthesia is a common short term effect whereby the victim usually tries to numb his or her body parts to pave the way for the offender to accomplish his or her mission ( Zayed, 2008). Common short-term effects include eating disturbances, anxiety, somatic body complaints, physical symptoms in the attacked body parts, and difficulties in concentration.
According to Canadian Women’s Foundation (2014), emotional effects include a high level of emotional behavior where victims feel sad and angry, disoriented as they show denial and disbelief, or may be controlled by keeping calm or distant. Cognitive effects experienced on the short term basis include the inability of the victims to avoid and forget about the thoughts associated with the assault or also remember the entire incident (CFS. 2015). Victims of sexual assault usually face a high conflict effect between emotions and intellect. Other short term related issues include inception of substance abuse as a countermeasure, sexual difficulties especially if the victim was married, eating disorders, physical changes, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies (Sawa& Ward, 2015).
Long-term Effects
Quinn (2005) avers that the occurrence of a sexual assault may cause detrimental long-term effects on the victim. Common effects that may occur in the long term include depression, the commitment of suicide, flashbacks, rape trauma, pregnancy, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Contracting the Sexually Transmitted Infections, and elongated body memories (Bryant-Davis, 2011). This section provides a detailed analysis of these effects.
Depression
According to Zayed (2008), victims of sexual assault particularly rape usually experience a plethora of psychological and emotional reactions. Depression is unquestionably one of the most common forms of these effects. Effects of depression can be difficult to identify as it occurs alongside other related life experiences. Symptoms of sexual assault that last for more than two weeks may make a depression to exceed the normal feelings of sadness (Sawa& Ward, 2015). As a result, victims of sexual assault are advised to visit a medical practitioner for further interventions.
Canadian Women’s Foundation (2014) adds that these symptoms affect victims of any gender, age, ethnicity, religion or race. It is always difficult for the abused individuals to get themselves out of depression as it is not a simple sign of weakness. Critical signs and symptoms that can help people to diagnose whether the victim is suffering from depression may include elongated forms of sadness accompanied with unexplained crying spells (Quinn, 2005; Sawa& Ward, 2015). It is also easy to notice a substantial change in appetite or weight of the victim with continued fatigue and aggravated loss of energy
The victim may also change his or her sleeping patterns which may involve issues of insomnia and sleeping over an extended period. Social withdrawal characterized by loss of pleasure and interest in the activities that the victim previously enjoyed is also typical (Zayed, 2008; Canadian Women’s Foundation, 2016). The assaulted individual can also develop unexplained pains and aches in different body parts including the head and the stomach. Finally, such people may develop suicidal thoughts and tendencies which ultimately results in death (Raedt & koster 2010).
Flashbacks and Trauma
Bryant-Davis (2011) identifies flashbacks as a common long term effect that may significantly affect the life of the assaulted individual. Flashbacks occur as a result of the affected individual feeling as if the memories of the previous traumatic experience are taking place (Chris et al, 2010). Flashbacks occur in different forms including sounds, dreams, images, smells, overwhelming emotions, and body sensations. These feelings appear to originate from nowhere and may leave the affected individual powerless, scared and anxious, and scared (CFS, 2015).
According to Holcomb and Holcomb (2011), Flashbacks may trigger additional forms of the traumatic experience that occurred a long time ago. Conversely, trauma occurs often as sexual or rape assaults, which are a normal and a natural human reaction as a result of the unnatural, unexpected, and incredibly outrageous event. Rape trauma usually occurs three different phases. The acute phase is encountered immediately after the assault followed by the outward adjustment phase that involves an individual going back to his or her normal life (Zayed, 2008). The resolution phase whereby the assault stops being the central focus of the victim’s life is usually the last stage.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Quinn (2005) asserts that it is important to understand that each and every individual has a distinct threshold for all the effects regarded to be as a result of a traumatic experience. PTSD occurs as a consequence of a healthy and a natural reaction incurred by a person when faced with an abnormal or extreme situation exceeding his or her control (Crumlish et al, 2010). PTSD is, however, too common in many individuals regardless of having encountered unusual incidents such as rape or a sexual assault case (Sawa& Ward, 2015).
PTSD is a long-term effect that presents with typical symptoms that each and every individual needs to understand to be in a position to diagnose this health effect and take the necessary measures (Holcomb & Holcomb, 2011). Signs and symptoms of PTSD include the experience of intense fear, helplessness, and horror, continuous disturbing reminiscences of the incident, and often evaded occurrences that may remind the victim of the initial incident. The victim may also show important signs of impairment as a result of the initial incident with symptoms of raised arousal levels such as hyper vigilance, sleeping complications, and anger outbursts (Sawa& Ward, 2015).
Pregnancy and Sexually Infections (STIs)
Perhaps, STIs and pregnancy can be the most severe and memorable effects that come as an outcome of sexual assault. For instance, rape can result in conception just like any mutually agreed sex ( Zayed, 2008) As such; it is critical for all female victims of rape to be tested for pregnancy to determine how the affected individual can be helped further. Nevertheless, victims of abuse cases are highly predisposed to the contraction of sexually transmitted infections.
Bryant-Davis (2011) adds that preventive treatment is entailing the provision of antibiotic therapies should be administered with the delivery of adequate information regarding where one should go for further follow-up testing. Individuals who were not tested and never received proper medical care must always visit nearby health facilities for further help. HIV testing has to be done according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations (Holcomb & Holcomb, 2011). This organization requires all victims of sexual assault to initiate a regular follow-up testing exercise.
The first test takes place two weeks after the occurrence of the incident with regular blood tests during the sixth week, the third month and the sixth month after the incident to rule out HIV presence. Canadian Women’s Foundation (2014) research indicates that untreated cases of STIs and HIV may result in the main medical complications such as AIDs which may lead to death when not well managed.
Suicidal Tendencies and Associated Body Memories
CFS (2015) indicates that most of the victims who survive from the occurrence of a sexual assault tend to experience suicidal tendencies which may dominate the entire part of their life. Such individuals are usually traumatized with low self-esteem that can easily inspire them to attempt suicide and death. It is important to understand that suicide is prohibited in the Canadian Laws as well as the global guiding rules and regulations enforced by international organizations such as the United Nations Human Rights Council.
According to Holcomb and Holcomb (2011), it is important to treat suicidal tendencies with the seriousness they deserve. Such individuals should be reported immediately and encouraged to receive the necessary help. Body memories usually occur when memories associate with the first abuse exhibit the form physical problems whose explanation can never be addressed by conventional means such as medical examinations (Quinn, 2005).
Such ailments are typically referred to as psychosomatic symptoms, which entail the mind-body connection of traumatic memories (Sawa& Ward, 2015). These physical memories include can be characterized by numerous physical signs and symptoms such as migraines, headaches, Light dizziness or headedness, sleep disorders, hot or cold flashes, stomach difficulties, and teeth grinding.
Conclusion
Despite the increased efforts in fighting against sexual assault, both developing and developed countries such as Canada continue to experience issues of sexual assault. Sexual assault takes different forms and affects people of all gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity. Statistics about sexual assault in Canada and the entire world are, however, showing promising results due to their diminishing nature. Nevertheless, sexual assault remains one of the most common forms of harassment that affects both men and women. The societal vice is currently cropping in learning institutions especially the colleges in Canada calling for collaborative effects for proper control.

References
Bryant-Davis, T. (2011). Surviving sexual violence: A guide to recovery and empowerment. Lanham: Rowman& Littlefield Publishers.
Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) (2015). Sexual Violence on Campus: Facts and Figures. Retrieved from: http://cfsontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2016/06/Sexual-Assault-Factsheet.pdf.
Canadian Women’s Foundation. (2014). Fact Sheet: Moving Women Out of Violence. Retrieved from: http://www.canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files//FactSheet-VAWandDV_19_08_2016_formatted_0.pdfCanadian Women’s Foundation (2016). The Facts About Violence Against Women. Retrieved from:http://www.canadianwomen.org/facts-about-violence
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Zayed, M. H. (2008). Effects of adult sexual assault types and tactics on cognitive appraisals and mental health symptoms. Northern Illinois University