In a matter of seconds your entire life can change. Tick, tick, tick, boom! And it happens. You didn’t ask for it. You didn’t lead them on. You simply attended your regular activities and followed your normal daily routine. The question we all ask, “Why?” Now you’re a victim and left to suffer and endure all the pains and difficulties of coping with this terrible action of someone else. “How am I supposed to carry on?” you ask yourself. “Was it my fault?” There are many short- and long-term effects of sexual assault and rape that affect the mind, body and spirit. Many survivors experience one or more of these effects and they are not mutually exclusive. Whether PTSD, Depression or Dissociation coping with the effects of sexual abuse can be overwhelming. …show more content…
It may involve seduction by a relative or it can be a violent act committed by a stranger. Sexual abuse can take on many different forms. Majority of sexual abuse happens in the stage of adolescence with incest being the cause. Research has found that women who experienced household abuse reported higher current levels of anxiety when thinking about the abuse. While act of sexual abuse may cause more serious impact, many other factors play in influencing the degree of damage the victim experience. Other factors may include the perspective of the individual, the individual’s internal resources, and the individual’s level of support (Courtois, 1988, as cited in Ratican, 1992). Sexual abuse invades the basic rights of human beings. Children and adults should keep the right to have sexual experiences at the appropriate developmental time and within their control and choice. The nature of sexual abuse and sexually abusive relationships are often traumatic. When sexual abuse occurs in childhood it can hinder normal social growth and be a cause of many different psychosocial problems (Maltz,