Effects of Sexual Assault
Effects of Sexual Assault
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Sexual assault is an incredibly personal and destructive crime. Its effects on victims and their loved ones can be felt psychologically, emotionally, and physically. They can be brief in duration or last a very long time. It is important to remember that there is no one “normal” reaction to sexual assault. Every individual's response will be different depending on the situation. In this section, we have explained some of the more common effects that a victim may experience. View one of the pages below to learn more about the effects a victim may experience.
There are many reactions that survivors of rape and sexual assault can have. But for adult survivors of childhood abuse there are reactions that may either be different or stronger than for other survivors.
A controversial concept, battered woman syndrome is a model that was developed by Dr. Lenore E. Walker to describe the mindset and emotional state of a battered woman.
Body memories are when the stress of the memories of the abuse experienced by an individual take the form of physical problems that cannot be explained by the usual means.
Borderline Personality Disorder is one of the most controversial mental illness diagnoses in Psychology today.
Diagnosis necessary to describe the symptoms experienced by survivors of long-term trauma such as child sexual abuse and prostitution.
There are many emotional and psychological reactions that victims of rape and sexual assault can experience. One of the most common of these is depression.
Dissociation is a mental process in which a person's thoughts and feelings may be separated from his or her immediate reality.
Flashbacks are when memories of past traumas feel as if they are taking place in the current moment.
PTSD is not a rare or unusual occurrence, in fact, many people experience PTSD as a result of a traumatic experience such as rape or sexual assault.
If you were recently raped, you may have concerns about becoming pregnant from the attack.
Rape Trauma Syndrome is a common reaction to a rape or sexual assault. It is the human reaction to an unnatural or extreme event.
Table of Sexually Transmitted Infections, their symptoms, treatment, and possible complications.
If you are currently thinking about suicide, or know someone who is, please reach out for help.
