Exploring the Psychological Impact of Sexual Assault on Victims

Sexual assault is a deeply traumatic experience that can lead to significant psychological consequences for survivors. This research paper explores various dimensions of this impact, including the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among victims, common trauma symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and substance use issues, and effective mental health treatment options available. The study highlights critical factors influencing recovery, like social support systems, disclosure processes, and individual coping mechanisms. By analyzing existing literature and recent studies, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the long-term psychological effects of sexual assault and offer insights into improving care for survivors. It emphasizes the importance of tailored therapeutic interventions that address both immediate trauma symptoms and long-term mental health challenges, ultimately contributing to better outcomes for victims.

Running head: DEMOCRACY IN RETREAT
Civil Society
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion:.................................................................................................................................2
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................7
Reference:..................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The subject matter of the case is based on the sexual trauma and effects or impacts of
the same on the victims or the perpetrators. The term sexual trauma can be defined as a threat
to the human personalities by inflicting harm on them. The trauma cropped up when there is
any emotional psychological effects taken place for certain sexual offences such as rape or
physical assault (Barth et al. 2016). In many cases, it has been observed that the victims of
these offences are facing certain disabilities due to this and there shall be certain traumatic
disorders take place during struggling with the problem. The effect of the same to the victims
is havoc in nature and it has been observed that they are suffering from sleep disturbance or
nightmares and emotional instability. In certain times, they become the victim of fear and
anxiety (Ullman et al. 2013).
Discussion:
It has been observed that the growth regarding the index of rape in the provinces of
Australia has increased epidemically and the victims are suffering from mental disorder after
the sexual offence occurred as against them. It has been told by one of the rape victims of
Australia that the nightmare of rape could not easily be forgotten. Research has been done to
understand the impacts of sexual assault on the women in Australia and it has been observed
that the scope of sex related problems are wide in nature (Rosellini et al. 2016). It is obvious
to state that the effect of sexual intercourse hampered the mental and psychological system of
the victim as well as the physical and social circumstance of them.
There are certain issues present to understand the impacts of the sexual assaults on the
victims. It has been observed that the gravity of torture is different from one case to another.

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However, the standard of implication is same at almost every time. There are certain factors
that are influencing the impacts of the sexual offences. They can be categorised as follows:
The relationship in between the victims and the perpetrators are one of these
influences. The psychological or the physical abuse that happened to the victims during the
process of assault also creates effect on the victims. Besides this, the severability of the
offence, the extent of bodily injury, the responses that the victims are getting from their
family and friends create effect on them (Staples et al. 2016). In certain circumstances, it is to
be find out the family background or the past history of the victims.
The impacts can be divided into two parts: the first is the immediate impact and the
second one is the long-term impact. When a person is become victimised, he or she is
experiencing common trauma regarding the same and it is obvious that they has undergone to
the period of obsession and mental disorder. In many cases, it has been observed that the
victims are become paralyse for the same and they become anxious in the aftermath period of
rape. Traumas occurred when the victims remember the incidents and they are suffering from
insomnia regarding the same. Other possible traumas included fear for HIV virus or become
pregnant regarding the same. The circumstances are going worst when they are assaulted
again in future and if not, the fear will follow them and they will become mental patient due
to this. A suicidal mentality has been grown up within them and they are suffering from more
stress regarding the same.
According to Psychiatric Association of America the impacts of the sexual offences
can be classified as follows:
 It is a fact that all the traumas are not of same values;
 In case of rape victim, the level of trauma is depending on the level of violence;

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 In certain circumstances, it can be observed that the attitude of the world towards the
rape victims is dominant in nature. That creates impact on the mind of the victim.
 It has been observed that the trauma like PTSD creates different effect on different
person.
It is to be noted that there are certain condition regarding the trauma and the symptoms of the
trauma can be inflicted by certain reasons that can be categorized as follows:
 One of the aftermath effect of the sexual assault is the remembrance of the violent
incident;
 It is a fact that the rape victims are suffering from insomnia and that disease creates
impact on their minds and also inflicted harm on their physical state. It has been
observed that the incident creates effect on the psychological state of the victim and
life becomes complicated for them;
 The most common impacts of the sexual assault is that the victims are undergone to
depression and that can create a long-term effect on them.
 Mood or anxiety disorders are also happened and it has been found that 39% of
women who are suffering from sexual assault met criteria for a mood or anxiety
disorder that hampered their personal life and social life as well; and
 It has been observed that the fatal incident could create avoidance behavioral that
affects the victims.
Women who have suffering from sexual aggression may comprise the solitary largest
group of people affected by PTSD.
It has been stated earlier that there are various kinds of impacts can be seen in case of
sexual assaults and the case of traumas the condition of the victim become hazardous. There

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are certain kinds of traumas can be observed regarding the physical conditions. Physical
impacts created regarding the same as:
 the urethra, vagina and anus (for some victims of penetrative sexual assault) of the
victim can be infected for such sexual offences;
 there can be problem like gastrointestinal, sexual and reproductive health problems;
pain syndromes and eating disorders, especially bulimia nervosa could be take place;
 the risk of contracting sexually transmissible infections, including HIV/AIDS can be
increased;
 there shall be a chance regarding the unwanted pregnancy and decisions can be
happened and the possibility of pregnancy can be taken into place;
 pelvic pain can be developed within the victim;
 irritable bowel syndrome are a common fact regarding the same;
 chronic diseases such as diabetes and arthritis can be taken into place;
 head nuisance and
 gynecologic symptoms; for example, dysmenorrheal, menorrhagia that means
abnormally heavy or prolonged bleeding during menstruation and certain sex related
problems are also one of the syndrome regarding the same and in these cases, the
support that the victim can be get from the families and the friends plays an important
role (Hofmann 2017).
The next impacts are related to the society in general and the effectiveness of such
impacts create significant role regarding the same. It is to be stated that the rape victims or
the victims of any kinds of sexual offences have to faces a number of problems and in most
of the times, it has been observed that their personal life are being hampered for the incidents.
The impacts of the sexual offence have been seen when they are dumped by their friends or
by their relatives and they got mentally harassed by the society for their hatred past. They

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face real problem when they wanted to mix up with the society as before and the mentality or
behavior of the society towards the rape victims also affected their life (Marshall, Laws and
Barbaree 2013). In certain circumstances, it has been observed that the female victims are
facing double trauma when they are teased by the male in subsequent events. These are the
main reason for the trauma and many a times, it can be observed that they could not tolerate
all the insults and commit suicide or attempt to commit suicide.
Another aftermath effect of the sexual assault is that the female victims are feeling
vulnerable conditions in their localities and it can be observed that attitude of the society
towards their pain make them mentally ill. This behavior of the society is termed as “second
rape” by the criminal justice researchers.
In the provinces of Victoria, Australia, it has been observed that the rape victims are
facing domestic violence by their cumulative partners and the mental health of the victims are
become deteriorated for the same (Bennett, Banyard and Edwards 2017).
There are certain financial impacts created due to the sexual violence and it can be
observed that the family of the victim could not bear the expenses of the victim. The future
earning capacity of the victims are hampered a lot for the violence and it can be observed that
the counseling expenses of the mental victims are huge and it become impossible for the
family of the victims to spend this expenses.
Conclusion:
Therefore, it has been seen that the victims of the sexual violation have to face a
number of problems. It is important to change the mentality of the society towards the rape

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victims. The mental support is needed to recover the mental balance of the victim and a
helping hand is needed to raise before them. It is to be kept into mind that the interpersonal
relationship of the victims should not be get hampered for all the accidents and a strong
sympathy should be maintained to secure the interest of the victims.

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