Definition

Myths & Misconceptions

A few statistics

Consequences

Consequences on the victims

In general, the consequences of sexual assault differ from woman to woman, but are impacted by:

• The frequency and duration of the assaults;
• The relationship between the assailant and the victim (stranger, close one, family);
• The type of gestures or words used during the assault (humiliation, degrading or accusatory words, etc.);
• The degree of violence used during the assault (verbal, physical or psychological);
• The reaction (positive or negative) of the victim’s entourage after revealing the assault (disbelief, censure, support, help, etc.).

Although each woman reacts differently, studies have shown that victims often have similar reactions. Time does not seem to alleviate these effects. Sometimes the consequences of the assault can emerge years later after a trigger: wedding, pregnancy, death, new assault, assault where the child of the woman is the victim, etc.

These consequences are “normal” reactions to sexual assault. The victims are not crazy for feeling all these emotions or to think that everything is not all right in their life. These consequences remind us, on one hand, that a sexual assault is a traumatizing event, and on the other, that the majority of victims unfortunately do not receive the support they needed after surviving such a trauma.

It is possible to separate the consequences of sexual assault into two categories: the initial effects, and the long-term effects. The most frequent consequences lived by women who were sexually assaulted are:

1- Initial Effects

• Emotional disorder: Fear, anger, distress, anxiety, etc.;
• Physical symptoms: Trouble sleeping, eating disorders, different physical injuries and pains, trouble concentrating, etc.;
• Sexual difficulties: STI’s, negative perceptions of sexuality, disgust, sexual dysfunction, pregnancy, etc.;
• Difficulty with social interaction.

2- Long Term Effects

• Self-destructive behaviors: self-mutilation, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, disrupting all positive aspects of their life, dangerous and abusive consumption of alcohol, drugs or sex, etc.;
• Anxiety: panic or anxiety attacks, repetitive nightmares, lack of sleep, flash-backs, obsessing over their physical appearance or their environment, etc.;
• Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia, morbid obesity;
• Dissociation: loss of perception of space and time, feeling detached from their body, feeling surreal;
• Low self-esteem: isolation, negative perception of themselves or their body;
• Phobia: fear of being touched, agoraphobia (fear of crowds), eating phobias (milk, yogurt, mayonnaise, etc.), claustrophobia (fear of small spaces);
• Obsessive and compulsive behaviors: compulsively washing their hands, repetitive baths and showers, checking the locks, etc.;
• Interpersonal troubles: social troubles, conflicts with others, difficulty with sexual relationships (especially with men), increased vigilance and distrust of others, affected parental functions, excessive control of themselves or their environment, etc.;
• Sexual difficulties: anxiety about sexuality, decrease or increase in their sexual activity, disgust or aversion to everything sexual, prostitution or lifestyle characterized by domination and sexual exploitation, etc.;
• Feeling ashamed, guilty, “mean” or “bad”. These feelings are the result of comments and negative references communicated to the child during sexual assault. Often, these comments stay in the mind of the victim until adulthood which affects their self-perception.

Source: Feuille synthèse, Les Conséquences. Par Louise Picard de Trêve pour Elles (1998); Révision et correction: Diane Vallée du CALACS de l’Ouest de l’île (2002); Bagley (1993); O’Hare et Taylor (1983), Sgroi (1986); Finkelhor et Browne (1986).