Chapter Nine Sexual Assault Background Defining Rape Multiple

Chapter Nine: Sexual Assault

Background � Defining Rape �Multiple definitions �May be a discrepancy between the legal definition and common definition �Definition used by this textbook-an unwanted act of oral, vaginal, or anal penetration committed though the use of force, threat of force, or when incapacitated � Benchmark Study: National Violence Against Women Survey (National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control, 1998) � 1 in 6 (17%) women and 1 in 33 (3%) men have experienced an attempted or completed rape (in the United States)

The Scope of the Problem �Underreporting �Other studies report 15 -33% of women and 10 -15% of men experienced an attempted or completed rape (in the United States) � 3 out of 5 sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, relative, friend, or acquaintance which leads to underreporting �Sexual abuse of children under the age of 12 is rarely reported �The Unique Situation of Sexual Abuse/Rape Survivors �Crises resulting from sexual abuse and rape differ in nature, intensity, and extent from other forms of crisis

The Dynamics of Rape �Social/Cultural Factors �Four different factors: �Gender inequality �Pornography �Social disorganization �Legitimization of violence �Historically, the crime of rape has been seen as: �A crime against the woman’s father or her husband �Psychosocial means by which the victors in wars reward themselves and humiliate their opponents

The Dynamics of Rape Cont. � Personal and Psychological Factors of Rapists �Acts hostile but often feels weak �Lacks interpersonal skills �May need to exercise power �May show sadistic patters �Sees women as sexual objects �Holds stereotypical and rigid views of males and females �Harbors chronic feelings of anger toward women and seeks to control them � Rape as an exercise in power and control � Four categories of rapists: �Anger �Power exploitative �Power reassurance �Sadistic

Myths About Rape � Rape is just rough sex. �Equating rape and sex is perhaps the most destructive myth of all. � Women “cry rape” to gain revenge. �People do not want to believe that rape really occurs �Serves to focus the blame for sexual violence on victims rather than perpetrators �Easier to believe than knowing rape can happen to anyone � Rape is motivated by lust. � Rapists are psychotic or weird. � Survivors of rape provoked the � Only bad women are raped. rape.

Myths About Rape Cont. � Rape happens only in bad parts of town, at night, or by strangers with weapons. � If the woman does not resist, she must have wanted it. � Males cannot be victims. � Homosexuals are usually the perpetrators of sexual abuse of boys. � Boys are less traumatized than girls. � Boys abused by males will later become homosexual or rapists. � If a person experiences sexual arousal, this means it is not rape. � A female can not rape a male.

Date and Acquaintance Rape �Date Rape Risk �Child sexual abuse is a risk factor for both heightened sexual activity and sexual victimization in dating. �Alcohol and drug use (by both the survivor and the perpetrator) is a risk factor for acquaintance rape. �Preventing Date, Acquaintance, and Other Forms of Rape �Educational programs, especially at the secondary school level, have been recommended as preventive measures in reducing acquaintance rape. �Results show changes are only short-term.

Intervention Strategies for Rape in the Immediate Aftermath �Empathy �Build a Working Alliance �Use Support Systems �Stop Secondary Victimization �Police, medical professionals, significant others �Responses �May exhibit no emotions �May feel humiliated �May suffer immediate and long-term trauma �May blame themselves �May be reluctant to go to the police or rape crisis center

Intervention Strategies for Rape in the Following Three Months �Critical Needs �Continuing medical treatment �Support system (family, friends, work, etc. ) �Understanding without pressure regarding further sexual contact �Critical Supports �Understanding mood swings �Ensuring safety without overprotection �Allowing the victim to make decisions regarding reporting the rape �Allowing the victim to talk about the trauma without disclosing the information to others �Recognize that loved ones also exhibit issues

Intervention Strategies for Rape in the Following Three Months Cont. �PTSD • Rape ranks second in the potential for PTSD • EMDR as a first option for treatment • Cognitive-behavioral treatment • Exposure treatment • Affect regulation • Cognitive therapy

Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse � Psychological Trauma and Sequelae �Effects on Adult Survivors �Higher incidence of: �Depression and anxiety �Borderline personality disorder and Dissociative disorder �PTSD �Social stigmatization and alienation �Somatic complaints �Negative self-image �Revictimization �Early assault is additive � False Memories �Controversial topic �False Memory Syndrome Foundation �“Recovered memory” survey

Intervention Strategies for Adult Survivors � Assessment �Can be difficult to assess and diagnose due to multiple ways it may manifest � Treatment of Adults �Treat in a similar way to PTSD � Grounding �Have the client focus on therapist and the “here and now” �Ask the client to describe current INTERNAL experiences �Orient the client to the current environment �Use relaxation techniques � Validation �Validate that the trauma did occur even if it is denied by the client’s family �Advocate for the client �Reinforce the resourcefulness of the client �Be a role model to help the client with childhood developmental tasks

Intervention Strategies for Adult Survivors Cont. � Extinguishing Trauma �The reduction or termination of a conditioned response as a result of the absence of the reinforcement � Prolonged Exposure/Cognitive �Reframing and relearning feelings Restructuring � Grief Resolution �Confrontation �Changing behavior through skill building and reconnecting � Support Groups for Adult Survivors

Sexual Abuse in Childhood �Dynamics of Sexual Abuse in Families �Intergenerational transmission of sexual abuse �Female abusers �Phases of Child Sexual �Engagement Phase �Sexual Interaction Phase �Secrecy Phase �Disclosure Phase �Suppression Phase �Survival Phase Abuse

Intervention Strategies With Children �Assessment �Therapeutic Options �Play Therapy �Cognitive-behavioral Therapy �Trauma Systems approach �Affirmation and Safety �Regaining a Sense of Control �Education �Assertiveness Training

Prosecuting the Perpetrator �Interviewing the Child �Ensure safety �Collect appropriate evidence �Carl Perkins model �Preparing the Child for Testimony �Education on the process �Role play possible situations �Orientation of the courtroom �Aftermath �Counseling �Placement of the child

Counseling �Group Counseling �Boundary Issues �Group Support Work With Non-offending Parents �Preventing Re-victimization �Individual Counseling �Session 1: Establishing safe ground �Session 2: Introducing traumatic material �Crisis session �Last sessions: Transcending