Some of the common effects of rape on individual victims
Over recent years, there has been an increase in the reported cases of rape all over the world. This is not a good sign of development in our societies as most of the victims involved in the rape cases tend to go through a lot of problems associated with the rape scenarios. Most of the cases have different impacts for each person involved as they might have experienced it in a different way and time. The victims also take different ways of trying to recover from this unfortunate experience. Generally, from the knowledge that most of us have about the cases, there are set responses of sexual violence and rape, which most of the people find it difficult to follow. Apart from this, it is also by the common knowledge that we get to know that the impacts of rape can last for an extended period and others can take long years to fully show themselves to the victim depending on the way it was conducted and also the measures the victim have taken to ensure that she recovers. Some of the common effects of rape on individual victims include:
Physical effects- this mostly happens during the act of rape because the one who is raping the victim might have been using force and violence to make sure that he succeeds the by overcoming the person he intends to rape. The might be minor or significant physical injuries on the victim that may need to be attended in the hospital either at that same time or later before they worsen. There are also other physical effects like sexually transmitted infections that might show in the future. One need to report a rape case immediately to the authority or even seek medication as soon as possible to avoid any doubts about the infections.
The second impact of rape on a victim in fear. This might be as a result of being physically threatened at a time of the incident. This can make one be in worried about reporting to the police because she is not sure of what might happen after this. One might also be concerned and have a fear of being pregnant or even to have contracted a sexually transmitted infection and is afraid of telling friends and family members for fear of being isolated or upsetting them.
Shame and embarrassment is another impact that is common to most of the rape victims. They usually feel very shameful and embarrassed about what had happened to them, and they fear to discuss that with friends or relatives as they think they can be despised and they would instead maintain silent. In most cases, the victims end up in depression, and they can even try to take their lives away out of shame and embarrassment.
Nightmares and recurrent dreams are also am impact of rape to most of the victims. This is mostly because the brain is always trying to remember and recover from that bad experience encountered. The nightmares although ceases as time goes by if one makes a step and get encouragements from talking to those who one trusts them.
Most of these rape cases reported, there are always some reasons that make it happen. The reasons are either to the side of the one doing the act of raping or it to the victim of the rape case. Some theories go hand in hand with the case to happen. One of the most common theory of this is lifestyle theory. Based on the theory, most victims of rape are the root causes of them being assaulted. I intend to support this because most people are warned about what is dangerous and might lead to them being raped, yet they still repeat the same. One of the lifestyles that are most common to the victims and especially the youths are going out at night alone, yet they know it is prone to the crime. They might be wearing clothes that are seductive to men who have no good intentions with them. Since they are out alone in the night with no one giving them the security, they are assaulted and raped all because they couldn’t follow simple instructions or even use common sense that it is dangerous to go out alone at night.
Another lifestyle that is most common to the victims of rape is excessive alcohol and doing drugs. Mostly, these acts are prohibited by law, especially to the underage, yet you find some of them using them. They get drunk, addicted where they eventually lose their mind in public places like clubs, parties or even where there is a crowd gathering of people. All the people where do have good intentions, some are there just waiting for others to drink and get drunk so that they can take advantage of them. They steal their belongings, and eventually, most are raped since they are not strong enough to defend themselves. This has been a common cause, especially to the young generation addicted to alcohol and drugs. Other lifestyles that might cause rape include; promiscuous, and maybe living in bad parts of the town that are prone to these cases. All these behaviours may contribute to the victimization of most of the people into rape, yet they can be avoided.
In conclusion, I believe that rape victims must be supported and helped to be in a position to deliver themselves from the trauma and the bad impacts of rape assault. I feel like they should be encouraged so that they can be in a position to seek for medication they deserve depending on the impact of the situation to them. They need to be taken even to the hospital even if there is no physical injury so that internal effects may be identified and treated from causing more harm in the future. They also need to be shown love by believing in them and making them understand that it is not their fault that they have been raped. With all this support, they will eventually recover to normal and have their lives continue on positive vibes only away from the trauma.