Sexual Assualt

 

         

The term ‘sexual assault’ refers to any form of sexual act committed against another individual without his or her consent, or against individuals who are unable to give valid consent. The significant and persistent negative consequences of sexual violence include interpersonal difficulties and immediate complex emotional reactions such as self-blame, helplessness, shame and isolation. Sexual victimization can also lead to clinically significant psychological distress, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and various anxiety disorders. Studies exploring the long-term impact of sexual abuse have reported significant variations in coping and symptomology across individuals. Around 20% to 40% of sexual abuse survivors report little to no symptomology in adulthood.

Why do people commit sexual violence?  

Sexual violence is a crime rooted in control and patriarchy, including male entitlement. 

In India, society often still shifts blame onto survivors, shaming a survivor and her family into silence. This is especially true among those are already marginalized within Indian society, leaving them particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. This culture of shame follows survivors into law enforcement, the court system and into hospitals, further silencing survivors’ voices.

There are common misconceptions and stereotypes about people who sexually abuse. It is not helpful when these stereotypes are reinforced in media coverage. Here are some facts about people who sexually abuse:

•      Not all offenders are the same. Some are more likely to reoffend than others, and there are different motivations for offending.

•     They can have strong social ties in the community. People who sexually abuse can be male or female, and span a variety of backgrounds and ages. Some individuals are married with stable relationships, employment and lack a prior criminal history.

•     The majority of sexual violence is committed by someone the victim knows — a family member, intimate partner, coworker, classmate or acquaintance.

What does the law in India say? 

India has made wholesale changes to its rape laws in recent years, including expanding the definition of rape to include to include that the absence of a physical struggle does not equate to consent. Another recent reform is the 2012 Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO) which called for the establishment of child friendly courts and practices that would not require a minor survivor to make numerous court appearances to deliver their testimony, and law enforcement officers who fail to register complaints  made by sexual violence survivors will also face compulsory jail time.

However, many of the recommendations made by the Justice Verma Committee on Amendments to Criminal Law, made after the infamous Delhi gang rape case in 2013, have yet to be implemented. In particular, the Committee had recommended many systemic and procedural reforms including police reforms, reforms in management of sexual violence cases and education reforms aimed at preventing sexual violence.

Marital rape is still not a crime in India.

 

What does international law say? 

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal calls for Gender Equality and enumerates several targets, including: 

• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
• Eliminating “ all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including sexual [violence]”
• The adoption and strengthening of “sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.”

 

How to help someone recover from rape or sexual trauma

When a spouse, partner, sibling, or other loved one has been raped or sexually assaulted, it can generate painful emotions and take a heavy toll on your relationship. You may feel angry and frustrated, be desperate for your relationship to return to how it was before the assault, or even want to retaliate against your loved one’s attacker. But it’s your patience, understanding, and support that your loved one needs now, not more displays of aggression or violence.

·        Let your loved one know that you still love.

·        Allow your loved one to open up at their own pace. 

·        Encourage your loved one to seek help, but don’t pressurize.

·        Show empathy and caution about physical intimacy.

·        Take care of yourself. The more calm, relaxed, and focused you are, the better you’ll be able to help your loved one. Manage your own stress and reach out to others for support.

·        Be patient. Healing from the trauma of rape or sexual assault takes time. Flashbacks, nightmares, debilitating fear, and other symptom of PTSD can persist long after any physical injuries have healed. To learn more, read Helping Someone with PTSD.

 

 

Common responses to sexual trauma that affect intimacy:

• Flashbacks
• Discomfort with certain areas of the body or certain sex acts
• Hyper-sexual behavior or low arousal
• Difficulty reaching orgasm
• Disassociating or disengaging emotionally during sex
• The need to be in control
• Difficulty trusting a partner

6 DO AND 6 DON'TS FOR HELPING YOUR CHILD DEAL WITH A SEXUAL ASSAULT

Sex assault is all over the news recently, and many survivors are getting triggered. As a parent or loved one of a survivor, it’s important to learn some strategies to help your child both immediately after their assault, and later in their life when their trauma can resurface due to unforeseen circumstances, like what’s happening in the current media. 

Here are 6 Do’s and Don’ts for Helping your Child Deal with a Sexual Assault:

Do:

1.   Believe them, even if what they say doesn't seem to make sense to you.

2.   Listen to them. It is usually much more helpful to listen than to ask questions.

3.   Be angry at the perpetrator, but keep your attention on your child and not on the perp.

4.   Support them while they make decisions, even if you disagree with what they decide.

5.   Help other loved ones respect their privacy and respond with respect.

6.   Understand that they will blame themselves for the assault. Don’t agree with their self blame. Assure them that the perpetrator is the one to blame.

Don’t:

1.   Seek revenge. This can re-traumatize them, and cause them to worry that you might make the situation worse.

2.   Blame them. While they may have taken some risks (as we all do, all the time), they did not decide or expect to be raped. 

3.   Disrespect their privacy by prying, inquiring or pressing them to tell you what happened. Let them tell you the details they want to bring up, when they're ready.

4.   Ask “why” about anything related to the assault. While it’s normal to want to understand why things happened, asking your child to come up with those answers can sound like you’re blaming them for their own assault. 

5.   Take charge of the situation. One of the most damaging things about being raped can be having control of one's body taken away. A natural response is to try to regain a sense of control, often by resisting decisions made by others.

6.   Assume that they don’t trust you or value your support if they don’t open up to you. It is much more likely that they don’t trust themselves to discuss the situation, or are not yet clear in their own mind about their feelings or thoughts.

 Prevention of Sexual Violence:

STOP SV
Strategy		Approach
S	Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence	Bystander Approaches Mobilizing men and boys as allies
T	Teach Skills to Prevent Sexual Violence	Social-emotional learning Teaching healthy, safe dating and intimate relationship skills to adolescents Promoting healthy sexuality Empowerment-based training
O	Provide Opportunities to Empower and Support Girls and Women	Strengthening economic supports for women and families Strengthening leadership and opportunities for girls
P	Create Protective Environments	Improving safety and monitoring in schools Establishing and consistently applying workplace policies Addressing community-level risks through environmental approaches
SV	Support Victims/Survivors to Lessen Harms	Victim-centered services Treatment for victims of SV Treatment for at-risk children and families to prevent problem behavior including sex offending

Helpline number; 011- 26944880

Link;  http://ncw.nic.in/