Sexual Violence Report Barriers
Many individuals are victims of domestic violence but do not report due to various reasons. Many factors are connected to the reluctance of the victims to report or open up on sexual violence. This document will assess some of the factors that prevent victims of domestic violence from reporting.
According to the centers for disease control and prevention, the primary reason for not reporting sexual assaults is the fear of the perpetrator (CDC). Victims are afraid that the perpetrator would hurt them more if they found out that they reported the act. Other factors include the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim (Barber 22). Victims abused by family members are less likely to report the violence. Many of the victims feel ashamed and are afraid of the stigmatization that will emerge after they have reported.
Children are less likely to report sexual assaults occurring to them. Children in most cases not know the correct procedure of reporting a case (“GMDVP.Org). In other cases they are afraid of adults who abuse them since they threaten them. Other factors hindering reporting include the sexual orientation of the victim. Individuals in gay and lesbian relationships may not report their assaults mainly because they are not protected by the law or do not want to expose their sexual orientation. Men who are victims may not report due to the societal perspective of men as perpetrators and not victims, especially when the perpetrator is a woman (Stets 45). The police on the other hand, may not be supportive in responding to cases in which the man is the victim.
In conclusion, reporting of sexual violence is affected by personal, societal, and institutional factors. Individual factors related to the relation of the perpetrator and the victim. Societal factors re the perspectives of the society regarding the victim, especially if they are male and institutional factors include the failure for police officers to react.
Work Cited
“CDC Works 24/7”. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/.
“GMDVP.Org”. Gmdvp.Org, 2020, http://gmdvp.org/gmdvp/.
Barber, Christopher F. “Intimate violence against men.” Nursing Standard (through 2013) 22.51
Stets, Jan E., Intimate violence, and control. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.