Awareness about sexual assault

What is marital rape? Marital rape  or  spousal rape  is the act of  sexual intercourse  with one's spouse without the spouse's  consent . The lack of consent is the essential element and need not involve physical violence. Marital rape is considered a form of  domestic violence and  sexual abuse . Although, historically, sexual intercourse within marriage was regarded as a right of spouses, engaging in the act without the spouse's consent is now widely classified as  rape  by many societies around the world, repudiated by international conventions, and increasingly  The issues of sexual and domestic violence within  marriage  and the  family  unit, and more specifically, the issue of  violence against women , have come to growing international attention from the second half of the 20th century. Still, in many countries, marital rape either remains outside the  criminal law , or is illegal but widely to...

  Who are the Perpetrators ? Perpetrators can be anyone including family members, family friends, coaches, teachers, clergy, babysitters, and any other acquaintances. THEY CAN BE ANY AGE, RACE, GENDER, RELIGIOUS BELIEF, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, EDUCATION LEVEL, FINANCIAL STATUS. How do Perpetrators manipulate children and families? • Perpetrators are patient! They work to gain trust and friendship of the child and often of the entire family. • Perpetrators pay attention to what a child likes and dislikes, to find ways to interact with the child. • Perpetrators find ways to be alone with the child. • Perpetrators often “test” a child’s ability to protect himself/herself by engaging in touching activities such as hugs and kisses, back rubs, horseplay, etc. • Perpetrators take advantage of a child’s natural curiosity. If a child seems comfortable and/or curious about touching, then slowly increases the sexual contact. Why do only 16% of child victims Risk Factors for Sexual Violence Perpet...

THE EFFECTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT There are many common reactions to sexual violence. Not all survivors of sexual violence are the same, nor will any act of sexual violence affect two people in the same way. There is no wrong or right way to feel or react. As the body and mind process the devastation of sexual violence, many different emotions, behaviors, and physical responses appear and disappear and may reappear. This is simply an introduction to help better understand what a survivor may be experiencing. As an advocate, support person, or someone working with a survivor of sexual assault, helping to identify and normalize these reactions can be important. While each survivor is unique in their experience, many survivors are impacted in the following ways: Shame Survivors thinking they are bad, wrong, dirty, or permanently flawed. Guilt Survivors feeling that the abuse was their fault. It is very difficult for survivors to place the blame on the person who assaulted them. Often the offe...