Rape Trauma Syndrome Analysis

The emotional toll and impact of a sexual assault against a person can have dire life altering consequences on an individual’s physical and mental well-being. The physical and emotional bearing frequently leaves the victim feeling helpless, depressed, apprehensive, fearful and creates a deep-rooted mistrust of the world (Karmen, 2014). Additional consequences may arise such as, unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, survivors during the initial aftermath of a rape or sexual assault may begin to develop rape trauma syndrome (RTS) (Rape Trauma Syndrome, 2007). Rape trauma syndrome can have a significant impact on a person’s physical, psychological, social or sexual aspects of his or her life and is divided
Since victims are often at their most emotionally vulnerable state during this phase, the immediate intervention by those around them is crucial. The second phase of rape trauma syndrome is the long-term reorganization phase. Symptoms during this stage are reoccurring nightmares, defensive reactions, and strains on relationships (Karmen, 2013). Additionally, many victims feel as if changes in their daily lives will help them overcome their traumatic experience. For example, victims will move to new locations, change their jobs and limit personal contact. Similarly, like rape trauma syndrome, survivors of sexual assault have also been known to develop symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Karmen, 2013). As cited it the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “One study that examined PTSD symptoms among women who were raped found that almost all (94 out of 100) women experienced these symptoms during the two weeks immediately following the rape” ( ). While the physical and psychological consequences of sexual assault survivors can be life altering, distinguishing “real rapes” with “acquaintance rapes” and “date rapes” is instrumental in understanding how these traumatic events may unfold. (FILL IN) Skipping to Victim
In other words, the actions or lifestyle choices of certain individuals put them at a higher risk of becoming a victim. They are regarded as people who failed to properly omit the potential dangers of their actions or they chose to ignore the substantial risks involved in certain situations. Behavior such as, wearing promiscuous clothing, going to bars unescorted, acting coquettishly and accepting rides from men they hardly know are precarious actions that can put a person at risk (Karmen, 2014). Additionally, in instances of date rape, a miscommunication between the two parties can result in a failure of making the victims true intentions known. For example, because of the mixed signals being sent from his date after a night of drinking alcohol, his perception was that she wanted to engage in sexual relations, but in reality she did not; however, she did object strongly enough to stop him. This example illustrates the victim blaming view of the individual engaging in a high-risk activity and failing to fully understand the situation she was getting herself into. Consequently, the acceptance of a victim blaming mentality leads to many problems. Not only does it shift some of the blame to the victim, but it also reduces the offender’s accountability for their actions. Furthermore, the prevention of rape is shifted away from the aggressors, the police, the culture and