Impact of Sexual Assault
Barriers to Getting Help for Sexual Assault Victims
A number of factors might make it difficult for a victim/survivor to identify her or his experience as a sexual assault and to seek assistance.
Confusion and Denial
First, there may be confusion about what the victim/survivor has experienced, especially if the assault took place in the context of a freely chosen social or romantic/sexual interaction. The victim may simply be unwilling or unable to believe that someone she or he knows and trusts would betray her/him in this manner.
Shame and Self-Blame
Many survivors do not tell anyone about their experience or get medical and legal assistance because they feel guilty and ashamed. There is a strong tendency to self-blame that is often reinforced by the perpetrator’s manipulation, along with societal myths about rape and female sexuality.
Stigma and Fear of Re-Victimization
Unfortunately rape survivors who disclose about their experience may be blamed and stigmatized by family, friends, medical personnel, the legal system, and the media. Thus, there may be some reality in the survivor’s reluctance to seek help and /or report a sexual assault.
Fear of Losing Control
When a person is sexually assaulted, she or he is robbed of the control that is so critical to our psychological well-being. Many victims are afraid that seeking help or reporting an assault will lead to further loss of control, i.e., losing the right to make decisions for oneself, being identified by others only as a “rape victim” and losing one’s other roles and identities, losing one’s privacy and anonymity within the campus community.
Not Knowing the Options
Many survivors are unclear about what recourse they have following a sexual assault. They may have stereotyped or unrealistic ideas about what they must endure if they report the assault and/or seek medical attention or counseling. For example, they might believe that if they report the matter to the university, they must go the police and press criminal charges against the perpetrator. Also, if it is too late for medical or police intervention, the victim/survivor may not realize that s/he can always seek help for the emotional consequence of an assault.
Fear of the Perpetrator
Many survivors continue to fear the perpetrator(s) who have raped them. Unless a restraining order is obtained, there may be nothing to prevent the perpetrator being a further threat to the victim. Survivors may be harassed, intimidated, or assaulted again by perpetrator or his friends. The university can sometimes be of assistance to the survivor in keeping the perpetrator away and/or helping her find new accommodations where she will feel more secure.
Sexual assault is traumatic for the victim, both physically and emotionally. Many times, sexual assault committed by a date or acquaintance can be more devastating for the victim than if the assault had been committed by a stranger since the victim’s trust in others and in her own judgment can be seriously impaired. Thus, the emotional or psychological damage is usually severe, if not more so than the physical injury that may result. Victims are often left feeling:
- Powerless
- Vulnerable
- Violated
- Humiliated
Furthermore, the victim’s ability to function in various areas of life may be hampered for a short while or a long time after the assault.
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