Impact of Sexual Violence

1 Impact of Sexual Violence Fa c t S h e e t S exual Violence occurs whenever a person is forced, coerced, and/. or manipulated into any unwanted Emotional reactions Guilt, shame, self blame Embarrassment Sexual activity, including when s/he is Fear, distrust unable to consent due to age, illness, Sadness disability, or the influence of alcohol or Vulnerability other drugs. Isolation Sexual Violence includes rape, incest, Lack of control child Sexual assault, ritual abuse, non- Anger stranger rape, statutory rape, marital Numbness or partner rape, Sexual exploitation, Confusion Sexual contact, Sexual harassment, Shock, disbelief exposure, and voyeurism.

2 It is a crime Denial not typically motivated by Sexual desire Psychological reactions but by the desire to control, humiliate, Nightmares and/or harm. Flashbacks Sexual Violence can violate a person's Depression trust and feeling of safety. It can, and Difficulty concentrating does, happen to people of all ages, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder races, genders, Sexual orientations, (PTSD). religions, professions, incomes, and Anxiety ethnicities. Sexual Violence affects Eating disorders all of us: survivors, significant others, Substance use or abuse communities, and society.

3 Phobias Low self esteem Impact on the survivor Each survivor reacts to Sexual Violence Physical reactions in her/his own unique way. Personal Changes in eating or sleeping style, culture, and context of the sur- patterns vivor's life may affect these reactions. Increased startle response Some express their emotions while Concerns about physical safety others prefer to keep their feelings Physical injury inside. Some may tell others right away Concerns about pregnancy or what happened, others will wait weeks, contracting an STI or HIV. months, or even years before discuss- ing the assault, if they ever choose to do so.

4 It is important to respect each person's choices and style of coping with this traumatic event. Some health outcomes Whether an assault was completed or can be fatal such as attempted, and regardless of whether it suicide, homicide, happened recently or many years ago, it may Impact daily funcitoning. A wide maternal mortality and range of reactions can Impact victims. AIDS related deaths. Some common emotional, psychologi- cal and physical reactions follow. Impact on significant others to the severity of their reactions (Ellis, Atkeson &. Sexual Violence can affect parents, friends, partners, Calhoun, 1981).

5 Scholars at Johns Hopkins University children, spouses, and/or co-workers of the survi- School of Public Health indicated that development vor. As they try to make sense of what happened, of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is likely significant others may experience similar reactions in 50 to 95 percent of rape cases (1999). Lifetime and feelings to those of the survivor. Fear, guilt, income loss, due to Sexual Violence in adolescence, is self-blame, and anger are but a few reactions they estimated at $241,600 (MacMillan, 2000). may experience.

6 The contributions and achievements that may never In order to best support the survivor, it is important come as a result of Sexual Violence is a cost to for those close to them to get support. Local social society that can't be measured. services providers offer free confidential services to women, men, and children who have been affected You can help by Sexual Violence . This can include advocacy-based The healing process after Sexual Violence is often counseling in an individual, family or group setting; difficult and may take a long time, but with support, information and referral services; and 24-hour crisis healing can occur.

7 Visit to find intervention assistance. out more about how you can help support survivors, or to learn more about preventing Sexual Violence in Impact on communities your community. Communities also feel the effects of Sexual Violence . The NSVRC website also provides a listing of Schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, campuses, and Sexual assault programs and other resources. In an cultural or religious communities may feel fear, anger, immediate crisis, callers can connect to the closest or disbelief if a Sexual assault happened in their participating center by dialing RAINN's national community.

8 As with any form of Violence , Sexual routing number: 1-800-656-4673. Violence tears at the fabric of community well-being. Additionally, there are financial costs to communi- ties. These costs include medical services, criminal References justice expenses, crisis and mental health services Ellis, , Atkeson, , & Calhoun, (1981). An assessment fees, and the lost contributions of individuals affect- of long-term reaction to rape, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 90:3, 263-266. ed by Sexual Violence . According to the Department of Justice (1996) Erdreich, , Slavet, , & Amador, (1995).

9 Sexual harass- the cost of crime to victims is an estimated $450 ment in the federal workplace: Trends, progress, continuing chal- billion per year. Rape is the most costly to its victims, lenges. Washington, : Merit Systems Protection Board. totaling $127 billion annually. MacMillan, R. (2000). Adolescent victimization and income defi- cits in adulthood: Rethinking the costs of criminal Violence from a Impact on society life-course perspective. Criminology, 38, 553-577. Sexual Violence endangers critical societal structures through climates of Violence and fear.

10 According to Miller, , Cohen, , & Wiersema, B. (1996). Victim costs and consequences: A new look. Washington, : National Institute of the 1995 Merit Systems Protection Board, Sexual Justice harassment alone cost the federal government an estimated $327 million in losses associated with job Population Information Program. (1999). Population reports: End- turnover, sick leave, and individual and group produc- ing Violence against women. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins tivity among federal employees. University School of Public Health. Fifty percent of rape victims lost or were forced to quit their jobs in the year following their rapes due This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement #1VF1CE001751-01 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.