It can be hard to imagine someone you trust taking advantage of you: maybe a friend, family member, or mentor. Or even walking home from work, taking a route you take every day, and getting assaulted or feeling violated. Unfortunately, situations like these are extremely common yet society finds it hard to address and take action about. Sexual assault is an extremely traumatic experience that impacts more than half of women and almost one-third of men in America, with an estimated one person being sexually assaulted every 92 seconds. Going through an event as shocking and violating as sexual assault has the potential to create severe short- and long-term effects on a victim’s mental health and psychological wellness. The effects may manifest themselves differently in different people as sexual assault, which I will explore more in this article.
What Does Sexual Assault Look Like?
Firstly, it’s important to define what sexual assault may look like in order to better understand its impact. Sexual assault can look like unwanted touching, forced penetration, or non-contact abuse. It can also come in the form of incest, in which someone is violated by a family member who that person often had previously trusted and relied on to protect them. It can also include verbal threats, coercion, or manipulation with the goal of non-consensual sex. A majority of sexual assault victims in the United States are between the ages of 12-34, but anyone of any age can be a victim, including babies, the elderly, and the disabled. Oftentimes, people of color and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to experience sexual assault in their lifetimes.
What is the Impact of Sexual Assault on Mental Health?
Some common effects of sexual assault on a victim’s mental health may look like feelings of shame, fear, panic, appetite disturbances, sleep issues, anxiety, depression, and more. In fact, 30% of rape victims end up experiencing at least one major depressive episode. The development of eating disorders or substance abuse disorders is unfortunately also common amongst survivors of sexual assault. Without professional help, these effects can become more severe, especially if victims of sexual assault do not have people in their lives willing to support them or if they associate sexual assault with shame due to external or internal factors.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another very common effect of sexual health. A study conducted on the appearance of PTSD following sexual assault showed that almost 75% of sexual assault victims meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis one month following the assault. Symptoms associated with PTSD following a sexual assault could be flashbacks, body aches, avoidance, changes in thoughts and feelings, and more. These symptoms may be present at first for many survivors of sexual assault, however, the persistence of these symptoms could be an indication that the person might be suffering from short- or long-term PTSD. PTSD can become severe, so it is critical to seek help if you or a loved one may be suffering. Seeking help for PTSD can look like psychotherapy, support groups, and more.
“Trauma is an invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love, and the way we make sense of the world. It is the root of our deepest wounds.” – Dr. Gabor Maté
Who Experiences Sexual Assault?
Sexual assault and trauma are especially common among teenagers. 1 in 6 young people between the ages of 11 and 17 have experienced some form of sexual abuse, and more than half of reported instances of sexual abuse happen to teenagers. Sexual abuse at a young age can put someone at a higher risk of developing mental health problems, and they may face more trouble in school and with personal relationships. This is especially true for teen victims of sexual assault who have been through the foster care system, live in at-risk situations or lack support from adult family members. Additionally, sexual abuse directed towards children and teenagers goes unreported 95% of the time due to factors such as not understanding what happened, fear of shame from friends and family, and a lack of support from adults. Even when a victim reports the abuse, they are sometimes accused of false reporting due to bias from the investigator, imbalanced power dynamics with law enforcement, fear, or memory problems due to shock or panic.
What Can We Do to Help?
For these reasons, it is extremely important for us as a society to address the stigmas surrounding sexual abuse directed toward all ages and identities. The stigma surrounding abuse can make a victim afraid or embarrassed to report instances to law enforcement or to share their trauma with loved ones. The stigma surrounding sexual assault and abuse can look like victim-blaming, implying that the victim was at fault for the abuse because of their own behavior, what they were wearing at the time of the assault, not standing up for themselves, and more. It is important to recognize that none of these things are the reasons for sexual assault, and it is more than likely that there was nothing a victim could have done differently to prevent themselves from being abused. Stigmas can especially harm male victims of sexual abuse. Because society revolves around toxic masculinity, men who have experienced sexual abuse may be reluctant to share their experiences out of fear of being perceived as weak or feminine.
Furthermore, it is important to take steps to prevent sexual abuse when possible. This may look like teaching children from a young age what consent is and its importance, helping children to set healthy boundaries, intervening if you notice abusive behavior from friends and family, and educating others about jokes and comments that either intentionally or unintentionally normalize sexual abuse.
If you or a loved one has suffered from sexual abuse, consider reaching out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or reach out to a mental health professional near you.
Photo by Beniamin Sinca.