Support Services
Student’s name:
Professor’s name:
Class:
Date:
Support Service for Sexually Assault Victims
Sexual violence is notoriously difficult to measure, and there is no single research that provides a clear picture of the crime. Sexual assault can be through rape or attempted rape and occurs when one sexually touches another person’s body without their consent. There are various types of sexual assault: sexual harassment, groping, rape, domestic violence, elderly sexual assault, and child sexual abuse. Although the number of sexual victims has reduced by half over the years, everyday Americans fall victims to sexual violence, with more than half the victims being female. This essay focuses on identifying the victim population, the available resources needed to attain recovery, support program services available in Delaware for them, some of the support services that are not available in Delaware, and the modifications that could be done to the existing support service program.
Victim Population
According to the Rainn organization’s statistics, in every 70 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted, with over 400,000 victims every year in the United States. Their impacts of sexual violence have long-term effects on the victims. Some of the victim population include;
Young people. Young people comprise youths between the age of 12-34. The rate of sexual abuse in this age group is usually higher, and it is generally committed by a peer, friend, or acquaintance. Adults over 65 years old are 90% less likely to be victims of rape than those between 12-24 years.
Women and girls. Statistics by WHO indicate that 1 out of 3 women worldwide have experienced sexual assault either by a sexually intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence. Females age 16-20 are more susceptible to rape, sexual assault, and attempted rape by four times more than the general population. Sexual assault on women is at its highest on campuses.
Men and boys. 1 in every 33 males has encountered complete or attempted murder in their lifetime. In every ten rape victims, one of them is male.
Transgender. Transgender college students account for 21% more sexual assault victims than non-transgender students.
Native Americans. Statistics indicate that American Indians are twice likely to be victims of sexual assault compared to other races. Offense by intimate or relatives account for 25% while 30% is by an acquaintance and strangers commit 40% of the crimes.
Military. Approximately 6000 military members have been sexually assaulted during service time, and these cases often go unreported.
Prison. Sexual violence affects thousands of inmates across the country, with over 80,500 cases every year perpetuated by Jai; or prison staff.
Impacts of Sexual Assault on Victims.
Sexual assault has long-term effects on the victims. Sexual violence can negatively affect the victim’s physical, sexual, mental, reproductive health and may increase the chances of contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. The likelihood of an individual suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts accelerate after experiencing sexual assault. Approximately 60% of sexual assault victims undergo moderate to extreme distress, while 94% of females experience posttraumatic stress disorder two weeks after rape experience (Anderson et al. 2005).
Sexually assaulted victims are more likely to indulge in alcohol and drug abuse compared to the general public. The social relationship of the victims with friends, family, and colleagues at work is affected by aggressive behaviors that the victims develop; these behaviors are generally a result of posttraumatic stress and affect productivity. Furthermore, victims are at risk of unwanted pregnancy and contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Resources Available to Aid Recovery of Sexual Assault Victims
Recovery from sexual assault is not a walk in the park; it takes time. The healing journey can be painful, but one can reclaim self-worth and rebuild a sense of control. Trauma is easier to deal with when you have someone to walk with you through recovery. There are various resources for victims of sexual violence, from peer support groups, retreats, counseling books, and online group counseling. These resources include;
Hotline and call centers
These hotline and call centers are free and offer 24-hour service all days of the year where callers receive immediate crisis counseling, access to ongoing legal services and counseling, and safety planning. Examples are, Anti-violence Project, Childhelp, Darkness to Light, RAINN
Shelters, Counselling, and Support Resources
They offer counseling, shelters, and therapies; Examples are; Domestic shelters, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, National Center for PTSD.
Somatic Therapies
They are body-centered therapies on how trauma affects the brain and body towards recovery,
Trauma-informed yoga
Involves trauma-sensitive yoga that empowers trauma survivors
Animal Therapy
An example is Assistance Dogs International that assists people in finding dogs relating to their needs.
Retreats
They are organized to allow victims to choose what type of talk they find necessary for healing.
Support Services for Sexual Assault Victims in Delaware
Various support services in Delaware are available for Sexual assault victims. They include;
Victim Service resource
Victims of sexual assault are requested to call 911 in case of police emergency and medical treatment. There are also various domestic violence hotlines.
Batterers’ Intervention Programs
They are certified treatment programs for sexual assault victims such as catholic charities.
State police Victims’ Center
Delaware Victim Service staff are always prepared to assist crime, families, and witness with professional resources.
Sexual Assault Resource Center
They offer free, confidential, and complete rape crisis victim service to sexual violence survivors above 12 years old and non-offending friends and relatives.
ContactLifeline Rape Crisis
Offer services to survivors of sexual assault regardless of experience through telephone counseling, referrals, and professional help at hospital police stations.
University of Delaware Sexual Offense Support
It is a 24/7 victim support service which offers advocate services.
Strengths and weaknesses
Confidentiality: The state respects and recognizes an individual’s rights to privacy unless the subject requires disclosure, which will be discussed by the victim.
Non-discrimination. The state prohibits discrimination of victims of violence in accessing support services.
Leave. Leave is granted to victims of sexual assault to attend therapy and court hearings where necessary.
The weakness of these support services is that there are no modifications made in the policy statement that may favor non-government employees. Policy Dissemination is available for newly hired or promoted supervisors and managers. There are insufficient support services for incest survivors (Kervic et al., 2018).
Support Programs that should be Available in Delaware
There are several support programs for sexual assault victims not available in Delaware state but are present in other states like New York. They include;
Man Talk Program
Traditionally, it is tough for men to find support resources as male survivors of sexual violence. These man talk programs provide a haven where services are free, confidential and help men to express about their well-being, their safety, and the safety of others.
LGBTQIA services
These are support services that are meant for transgender sexual victims. These programs go beyond the narratives of sexual violence; it highlights the stories of activism, empowerment, and trauma. This program offers a guideline for maneuvering through gender expression and sexual orientation (Langelderfel et al., 2018).
Survivor art and Animal Therapy
Art therapy is a program full of articles and resources for children and adult survivors of sexual violence and specialized research that includes individuals with autism. Survivors get to share their stories, poems, artwork in a site’s gallery, and religious practices and beliefs characterize them. Survivors get to heal through expressing themselves, owning the guilt, and rebuilding confidence and self-worth.
Modifications to Delaware Support Services for Sexual Victims
The support systems for various sexual victims in Delaware need to undergo some modifications to be more efficient in aiding the full recovery of sexual violence victims.
In the Victim Service resources, Delaware state should consider setting up hotlines restricted to responding to sexual violence and emergencies. Batterer’s Intervention programs like catholic charities should incorporate retreat programs for the victims to connect with themselves through nature and not just through biblical beliefs. Delaware state needs to modify plans that deal with incest that empower victims to speak up against incest.
Sexual Assault resource center should include different services for man talk. Due to their “masculinity” ideology, men find it hard to talk about their experiences with sexual violence in a group for fear of being termed inferior or weak. Mental health programs should help victims deal with the post-trauma effects of sexual assault and depression. Furthermore, despite being able to assist in solving crimes, the State Police Victim Center should re-evaluate the methods used in evidence collection and persecution of sexual offenders to obtain justice for the sexual victims.
References
Anderson, Linda A., and Susan C. Whiston. “Sexual assault education programs: A meta-analytic examination of their effectiveness.” Psychology of Women Quarterly 29.4 (2005): 374-388.
Campbell, Rebecca, Emily Dworkin, and Giannina Cabral. “An ecological model of the impact of sexual assault on women’s mental health.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 10.3 (2009): 225-246.
Jacques-Tiura, Angela J., et al. “Disclosure of sexual assault: Characteristics and implications for posttraumatic stress symptoms among African American and Caucasian survivors.” Journal of Trauma & Dissociation 11.2 (2010): 174-192.
Kervick, Christian, and Michael Kelly. “State of Delaware Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Policy, June 11, 2018.” (2018).
Langenderfer-Magruder, L., Walls, N. E., Kattari, S. K., Whitfield, D. L., & Ramos, D. (2016). Sexual victimization and subsequent police reporting by gender identity among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adults. Violence and Victims, 31(2), 320-331.