Sexual assault and rape are traumatizing events. To be heartbroken is an understatement, and the stress that it puts people through is unbearable, to say the least. It devastates not just the victims, but also the family of the victim, and the entire community of where the victim lives.
Statistically, one on four boys and one in six boys will experience sexual assault before they become adults. The internet paved the way for sexual predators to find victims. And sadly, many young people fall prey. Reports show that about 39 million Americans are victims of assault when they were young.
What's important now is to make these statistics visible to people, and then show the warning signs of possible sexual assault. Then, there has to be institutions that will educate parents to deal with sexual assault, and support the victims as they recuperate from this tragic experience.
Sexual assault refers to an indecent action that is accompanied by physical force. However, rape requires that there was forced sexual intercourse.
Some say that rape can only happen to women. The truth is, it can happen to anyone. The person's gender does not matter, nor the person's sexual orientation.
It is critical that the victim acts quickly and provide evidence as soon as a possible. Physical evidence can get lost if they do not immediately go to a doctor.
There are several support services that will help the victims, and provide assistance to help the victim do the right thing to bring the perpetrator to justice. These support groups are extremely committed to help, and to prevent crimes like this.
It is also important to know that there is no such thing as a time frame for reporting an attack. Sexual assault and rape do not end with physical pain, but also emotional and mental issues that can affect how the victim will move on in living.
The victim of sexual assault must remain calm. She must also try to remember the details of the assault. It is important that the victim describes the situation as clearly as possible, as this will help advance the investigation.
Victims of sexual assault must fight. You can do this by biting, scratching, and punching. You can also pull the hair of your attacker, and this can be used as evidence once the DNA is traced back to the assailant.
If you are the victim of, you must seek support immediately so the authorities can act quickly. Go to a support group or rape advocate so you can get proper guidance.
Since each person has a different reaction to sexual assault and rape, the professionals will provide what is necessary to help the victim. They are trained to handle the situation and provide the right path to get justice.
Write a record of the assault. Although this is hard to do, it will serve a valuable purpose during the investigation. Try to remember and write as much details so you can preserve vital information for the authorities to investigate.
Apart from the record, the victim must try to preserve evidences. Examples of these are underwear, skin of the assailant that the victim got from scratching. Do not shower after an attack or you will lose the evidences.
Victims will feel dirty after being raped, and the natural inclination is to take a bath. You must avoid this, and only take a bath after a medical professional has gathered evidence.
This evidence is crucial, and it will help put the perpetrator in jail. After gathering evidence, the physician is ready to treat your infections, and also check you if you got STDs that may have been passed on by the perpetrator.
While going through this, you should always remember that the victim is never at fault. No matter what a victim did, she does not deserve to be treated in such a horrible way.
This is important because many victims blame themselves. Victims should never thin this way, and always remember that what happened was never their fault.
If you know anyone who is a victim, you must convince that person to report it immediately. You must take the victim to the authorities and get the issues addressed right away. You must also convince the victim to speak to a counsellor.
The support of family and friends is critical. The victim must feel that there people who will help them. What you need to do is to support here without fail. Be consistent and do not judge the victim.
Also, you must know that the victim's health is fragile. What you need to focus on is to provide emotional support by encouraging her to speak out, even if the incident has happened a while back.
Remember, it is never too late to report a crime. You should also convince your friend to go through counselling so experts can lend a helping hand. Help the victim deal with stress that comes along with the experience.
Make sure you listen to the victim, and that you do not judge her. Look for advocacy groups where she can find support and recuperate from the trauma.
No victim of sexual assault must be blamed. But there are precautions that one can take to prevent being abused.
First, you should not participate in activities that make you feel uncomfortable. You should also aid situations where you feel that there is a possibility of exploitation. Should you find yourself in this situation you should speak up.
Also, read the following to keep yourself safe.
Here are some more tips:
How can I protect my child and other loved ones from sexual assault?
This is an important question, and one way you can protect your children from sexual abuse is to be open with them. Communicate with them and give them lessons how to protect themselves. You should arm them with knowledge.
You have to explain to them that they have no right to be ashamed about what happened, or how they are treated.
Children are vulnerable so you must talk to them about sexuality early on. You should educate them about their right and about the different parts of their body. They should know a good touch and a bad touch.
Parents and teachers must also know the people close to the children. Also, you must teach children to be aware of their surroundings all the time and that they should stay away from strangers.
Be involved in community organizations to protect your child from this kind of abuse. Here are some more resources that you can read:
Sexual assault should never be dismissed with shrug. The first thing to do is to report it to authorities. This must be reported to the police, and then to medical professionals, and then to a rape counsellor. You should also know the difference between rape and sexual assault.