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Sexual Abuse & Assault
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SEXUAL ABUSE n : 'sek-sh&l &-'byüs
The crime of sexual interaction without the consent of the victim, often through force or threat of violence. Although the term rape has traditionally applied to the male use of force in sexual relations with females, applicable laws have been revised in many jurisdictions to include possibilities where a male is the victim. |
The first step in rape prevention is awareness. Anyone can be a potential victim. If you feel that you are incapable of being a victim of a sexual assault, then you will most likely not be looking out for certain dangers in your surroundings. Being prepared, in the event of a potential attack, will enable you to act in an effective way, rather then "freezing", which is a common reaction to a potential rape - like scenario. A way to prepare yourself can be obtained by simply observing your surroundings. If the threat of rape was present, what potential weapons are around for you to use? (Keys, purse, umbrella, books, etc.) What time of your day do you feel you are the most vulnerable to an attack, and where?
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2.1 - Types of Rape:
Power rape: 75%
This most common form of rape and is usually based on the assaulters desire for power and control, in which the offender "seeks power and control over their victim through intimidation by means of a weapon, physical force or threat of bodily harm. Physical aggressiveness is used to overpower and subdue the victim. Other characteristics are as follows:
Aggression, premeditation, offender is in a state of anxiety, offenses are repetitive and may show an increase in aggression over time, language is instructional and inquisitive, feelings of inadequacy, bodily injury is not intentional, minimal evidence
Anger rape: 20%
The rapist uses sexuality as a means of expressing and discharging feelings of pent up anger and rage.
Aggression, physical trauma to the victim, assault in impulsive and spontaneous, offenders mood is one of anger and/or depression, offenses are episodic, language is abusive, assault is short, usually a great deal of bad relationships in the rapists past.
Sadistic rape: 5%
Most hazardous: victim usually does not survive. Physical force becomes an erotic stimulant for the rapist.
Physical force is eroticized, assault is premeditated and calculated, offenders mood in one of excitement and agitation, offenders are ritualistic-bondage, torture etc, language is commanding and degrading, victim is kidnapped assaulted and disposed of, victim suffers physical trauma to sexual areas of their body, in extreme cases the victim is murdered and mutilated.
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2.2 - Types of attacks:
Blitz: the victim is singled out by the rapist
Confidence: use of deceit and betrayal of the victim.
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2.3 - Types of Rapists:
The reassure me rapist: Wants to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Wants involvement from the victim, wants to pretend that it is a "real" sexual experience.
Defenses: Keep talking. Easiest to talk out of, physical resistance is also effective because the rapist's goal is not to hurt.
The self-centered or ego rapist (Primarily Men): Sees women as objects to exploit. Sees no as a challenge, part of the game. Be alert to sudden changes in conversation-intensity, lowered voice, glazed look in his eyes
Defenses: get him talking about himself.
The anger rapist: Motivation is rage. Strikes suddenly. Saying things that might seem therapeutic might be helpful "you seem to be really angry…."
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Learning the basics of rape prevention can be useful in many settings. At home, on the street and in the car are three very common places for an attempted rape to take place. The following is a list of ways that you can protect yourself, from an all too common danger in today’s society.
Prevention tips
Although awareness and being prepared are important, these should not be used as reasons to live in fear. If that fear is present, however, there are a number of steps that can be taken to reduce your risk of attack in many of the places you would be.
3.1 - Prevention tips while at Home
- Keep entrances as well as outdoor storage and parking areas well lit.
- Be aware of places that people could hide: between buildings, between cars, behind fences and hedges, etc
- Install locks on doors and windows. Dead
- bolts are best for doors. Slide bolts can be used with sliding doors or windows.
- If possible have locks changed when moving into a new house or apartment. You never know who might have a duplicate key
- Keep doors locked, at all times.
- Install a peep hole
- Never leave an extra key by the door. If you must have an extra key, give it to a trusted neighbor.
- Keep keys in hand to unlock doors. Don’t linger at the door, especially at car doors.
- Never allow strangers to enter your home without showing some sort of identification.
- If a stranger wants to use your phone, take the number and make the call for him.
- Don’t let small children answer the door
- List only your first initial and last name on your mailbox and in the phone book. You don’t want to advertise that you live alone.
- Start a buddy system with your neighbors. Keep and eye on their home, and ask them to do the same for you.
- Keep all emergency numbers by the phone
- Avoid riding in elevators with people you feel are suspicious
- Do not tell anyone over the phone that you are home alone.
- Hang up on obscene phone callers. Report frequent callers to the police and phone company.
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3.2 - Prevention tips while on the street
- Be aware of the people around you. Check to see if you are being followed. It never hurts to be suspicious.
- Dress comfortably, but try to avoid clothes that can be easily and quickly removed, such as overalls or short skirts. Also, try to wear shoes that would allow running, if necessary.
- Try to have hair done in a manner that would not allow an attacker to grab you. Long ponytails and braids are two things that would allow an attacker to grab you easier.
- Try to avoid walking alone, particularly at night or in strange places.
- If you feel that someone is following you, cross the street and get to a well lit and populated area.
- Don’t walk too close to buildings, alleys, or bushes. Try to stay closer to the street side of the sidewalk.
- Don’t overload yourself with heavy books or packages. Carry your purse in front of you, or around your body.
- Keep your keys in your hand and put a whistle on your key ring.
- Don’t hitchhike.
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3.3 - Prevention tips while in your car
- Always keep doors locked while driving. Lock the doors after leaving the car and check the back seat before getting in. Keep the keys in hand to unlock the door.
- Keep the windows rolled up while driving.
- Keep as much gas in the tank as possible, at least half-full
- Try to follow well-traveled, well lit areas. Know where you are going before hand.
- Park in well lit, populated areas.
- If someone is following you, drive to the nearest police station or fire station - DO NOT DRIVE HOME - You would be letting them know where you live.
- If your car breaks down, pull over, turn on the emergency lights, and stay in your car. If someone stops to help you, remain in the car; give them a phone number to call help.
- If someone signals that something is wrong with your car, don’t stop. Drive to the nearest gas station.
- Don’t pick up hitchhikers.
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Methods of self defense. Although prevention tips are very helpful and dramatically decrease your risk of an attack, sometimes they aren’t enough. If you are presented with a dangerous situation, there are many ways you can protect and defend yourself, to prevent unnecessary harm to yourself. Three major methods of self defense are: submission, passive resistance, and active resistance.
4.1 - Submission
Submission is one of the safest options. This means going along with whatever the attacker tell you to do in order to survive. Some people feel that they would rather die than do what their attacker tells them to do, but it is important to understand that you can survive rape but you can not survive death.
Many people confuse submission with consent. A person can only consent if they have equal power and a full range of choices. If you are being threatened, you do not have equal power, and you do not have many options.
The problem with submission is that the victim tends to feel more guilt and receives more blame from others who are unaware of the consequences that resisting can produce. Only the victim can truly judge the level of danger they are in, and looking back to the situation, many survivors feel that they should have done more. However, usually the first instinct is the best one.
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4.2 - Passive resistance
Passive resistance takes advance preparation. In order to defend yourself using passive resistance, you must plan ahead of time what you would and could do in a rape situation. You must practice your plan of action, and remember that your resistance is considered "passive" only in that instead of physical force you will use your head to think and/or talk your way out of an attack.
The use of surprise against a rapist can be very effective in preventing or de-escalating their attack. The rapist is expecting fear, panic, and submission they are not expecting calmness, assertiveness, and rationality. If after being initially startled by an assault, you can change the element of surprise around by doing something unexpected, you may even gain an advantage and give yourself enough time to get away or subdue his intentions by using physical resistance.
Train yourself to avoid the "startle reflex" when you are startled be someone or something. This reflex is the beginning of the flight response that occurs when we perceive a threat to ourselves. This is exactly what the rapist expects. If you can learn not to jump, or cry out, or gasp, but condition yourself to examine and think about the situation, you can avoid letting the rapist gain an advantage by surprising you. you have then caught him off guard, at least temporarily. Train yourself and practice this. It is all part of learning to think on your feet in an assault.
When faced with a potential rape situation, be aware of where you are, who may be in the area, possible escape routes, and weapons you might use. Again, you must train yourself to observe your surroundings. You can not do that while you are panicked. Practice doing this so that you will already be prepared if an attack should occur. Below are some suggestions for "unexpected" victim behavior:
- Pretend to consent to the rapist’s advances. Pretend that you are thrilled at the idea of having sex with them. They might drop their guard just long enough for you to get away or try to attack their vulnerable points.
- Act as if you think they are joking, while being aware that you must get away.
- Act in a bizarre manner. Acting deranged or retarded may turn the attacker off. Chances are that he may not bother you if he thinks you are crazy.
- Fake a seizure, as if you are epileptic
- Fall down and starting barking or anything else that will startle them
- Talk in an uncontrollable manner. Talk crazy.
- Use your imagination
- Disgusting behavior can catch them by surprise as well
- Urinate on them
- Tell them you have a sexually transmitted disease, or some other condition.
- Stick your finger down your throat to the point of vomiting
- Anger and annoyance from you may be just enough to catch him off guard.
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4.3 - Active resistance
Active resistance involves the use of physical resistance by the victim against their assailant. The following is a list of vulnerable points on the body. Knowing these points can be a great advantage to you in an assault situation. However, you must be willing to use them and hurt your assailant to avoid being raped.
Remember, that although these points will give you an advantage, do not use them to turn the tables and to "beat up" your assailant. These points should be used to give you enough time to get away and call for help. DO NOT try to stay and face your attacker.
- Eyes: Stab with fingers, thumbs or sharp objects.
- Nose: Hit the heel of your hand, fist, or elbow; smash nose with your head.
- Throat: Thrust your fist or side of hand to the windpipe.
- Chin: Strike upward with the heel of your hand; kick if possible.
- Temples: Strike hard with fist or elbow (this requires a great deal of strength to do damage)
- Groin and genitals: Try a quick knee thrust upward. You may try going along with the assailant while trying to supposedly caress them, grab and pull.
- Knee: Administer a sharp blow with the foot, forcing the knee backwards or to the side.
- Shin: Kick or run the edge of a shoe down the front of the shin.
- Foot: Stomp down hard.
These self defense tactics should be practiced before use. Taking a class in self defense is the best way to master these attacks. Martial arts can also be effective as long as you know how and can use the moves effectively. Using objects like umbrellas, keys, books, nail files, combs, or a newspaper can be used as good weapons.
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- 78% of rape victims know the attacker.
- In the United States, 1.3 women are raped every minute. That results in 78 rapes each hour, 1,872 rapes each day, 56,160 rapes each month and 683,280 rapes each year.
- When compared with nonvictims, rape victims have been found to be 8.7 times more likely to attempt suicide.
- Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to the police. In a survey of victims who did not report rape or attempted rape to the police, the following was found as to why no report was made: 43% thought nothing could be done, 27% felt it was a private matter, 12% were afraid of police response, and 12% felt it was not important enough.
- 61% of all rape cases are victims less than 18 years old. 22% are between the ages of 18 and 24.
- 1 in 7 women will be raped by her husband.
- 1 out of every 3 American women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
- Divorced or separated, urban, poor women, ages 16-24 experienced the highest risk for rape/sexual assault.
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All These YearsTori Amos Inspired Site for Survivors of Rape, Abuse & Incest. RAINN supportive offering Information, Statistics, Chat Room and Forum. |
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