Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:
Sexual assault occurs when an individual is forced to engage in sexual activity without that person's explicit consent. This Includes acts in which an individual is forced to engage in sexual activity by the use of threats or other fear tactics
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), every 68 seconds, a sexual assault happens in the U.S. There are many reasons why survivors keep their sexual assault a secret. However, the burden of holding such a traumatic event in silence can pose a lifetime of emotional turbulence as well as physical complications.
- Fear of retaliation from perpetrator
- Fear of being blamed/ held accountable
- Fear that no one will believe them
- Fear that they will have no support or no one to turn to
- Blaming themselves for sexual assault
This can cause many serious mental health issues, in the long run such as:
- Suicidal thoughts
- Depression
- Anxiety
Connection to Mental Health
Mental health is a serious issues that affects many individuals. It is a ongoing issue that needs to be addressed. Poor mental health is aggravating factor for sexual violence as those individuals seem vulnerable, and easier "to trap". Even after the violence occurs, the victims mental health deteriorates as they go through a traumatizing event. Most victims do not share their story and are afraid of what people will think. This feeling becomes so heavy it can lead to depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. It is vital for victims of sexual violence to build their mental health, not be afraid to. share their story, and ensure they get the help they need.
There are several coping strategies one can use in order to help their mental health. These include 1. building self esteem: after SA occurs self esteem falls, however it's vital that friends and family help support their self esteem to ensure their well being. 2. Meditating: meditation helps one calm down, relax, and be in tune with themselves. Doing so can help victims get a peace of mind and take time to process their feelings. 3. getting physical exercise: spending all time wondering what they could've done to avoid does not help, however it's good if they do activities to distract themselves and do things that bring happiness. Physical exercise is known to boost serotonin levels. Therefore it is vital that a victim of SA keeps their mental health in check, and has support like therapy to ensure no long term issues.
Personally, I have suffered from several mental health issues in the past especially during qurantine. It got bad to the point where there was anxiety, and depression. However, when my friends realized something was not right, they ensured I got their support and tried to make me feel better. Overtime, I started working on many mental health actives. For instance, to keep myself busy I started working out, picked up new sports, and even started baking. I found that that helped a lot for my mental health, and now I'm in a great place.
Connection to Eating Disorders
Eating disorders refer to severe disturbance in eating behaviours and is associated with distressing thoughts and emotions. Similar to sexual violence, eating disorders can affect all ages, genders, abilities, and racial backgrounds.Eating disorders don't only effect your body, but it is something that heavily effects the mind in many ways. It
can lead to; body dysmorphia, mental illnesses of many kinds, anxiety and stress disorders,
depression, substance use and abuse, and in worst cases.. suicide. Those suffering from eating disorders because very vulnerable to sexual assault attacks. Perpetrators utilize this and think of it as a"weakness" to get closer to the victim and provide them with the validation they are looking for. Eating disorders can also be caused by body dysmporphia. After a victim undergoes that abuse, many of them start hating their body or wish it was different, which leads to poor eating habits and body image. Therefore, in order to stop sexual violence and create a safe space, it should be encouraged to have safer eating habits and being comfortable with who you are.
Many of the challenges survivors face place them at greater risk for developing an eating disorder. Research shows trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are significant risk factors for the development of an eating disorder. Sexual traumas such as rape, molestation, harassment, and other forms of abuse are all aggravating factors. Many who experience sexual trauma may develop a sense of disconnection from their body, or a desire to be cut off from their body and the overwhelming emotions they are experiencing. This may come in the form of body shame, hatred, or the urge to self-harm. One step at a time, by creating safer environments, and support systems these issues can be slowly stopped.
Personally, there have been several times where i've looked in the mirror and started pointing out flaws which have led me to eat less or more accordingly. However throughout the years I realized to break free of the mentality of looking in the mirror and finding flaws but instead do the opposite and be happy with who I am.
Truth/ Facts:
- It is never the victim’s fault for what happens to them. It does not matter what the person is wearing or doing, they were never asked to be raped/ treated in that manner. Consent is a vital part of any activity!!!!
- Victims are in fact encouraged to speak to law enforcers and report the case. Law enforcement and governments both have safety/ support groups to make victims feel as comfortable as possible, so their attacker can be caught as soon as possible and not be able to target others.
- If the victim is under the influence, it does not mean yes to sexual activity when he/she is in a vulnerable position
- Most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows: a neighbour, friend, acquaintance, co-worker, classmate, spouse, partner or ex-partner. Studies show that approximately 80% of women reporting sexual assaults knew their assailant.
- Men and children are also victims of sexual assault, it is not only women. No matter someone’s age, height, weight, or strength they can be a victim of sexual assault, vital to believe them.
- Many rape victims do not have visible injuries and try to act the same even after the attack, therefore it often goes unnoticed. Just because the victim is acting in a certain manner, does not mean the act did not happen.
Sexual assault can take many forms—it may be violent or nonviolent; the victim may be male or female, child or adult; the offender may be a stranger, relative, friend, authority figure, or spouse.
Aggravating Factors that cause Sexual Violence: -Alcohol and drug use
- Exposure to sexually explicit media
- Health problems
- History of violence and conflict
- Childhood trauma of physical, and mental abuse
- Poor relationships with family
- Poverty
- Famine
- Malnutrition
- Lack of employment
- Weak laws and policies related to sexual violence
Connection to underage use of Marijuana:
More than 3 million youth under 12 to 17 have used marijuana in the past year. These numbers are very alarming and are rising at a fast pace. Using substances at a young age make many teens vulnerable to sexual violence as they become unaware of their surroundings and lose perspective when under the influence. Starting minor drug use also causes and leads to many other aggravating factors that cause sexual violence such as changes in mood, poor academic behaviour, and changes in eating habits.
According to Anthony S. Floyd, a research scientist at the University of Washington, marijuana is the most common drug reported (besides alcohol) when drugs are involved in a sexual assault. Memory, perception and motor movement are affected when using marijuana, making it useful to a perpetrator. Moreover when a teen is using Marijuana their senses become so unaware to the point where they become hazy and would not understand the situation around them. Therefore Marijuana use must be limited, as it can also help the numbers of sexual violence go down dramatically.
Connection to Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Addiction is a serious issue that affects every aspect of a person's life. Once someone becomes addicted to drugs and alcohol usage, they start to become heavily dependant on those substances and let it negatively affect several factors in their life. Family, friends, school, and personal behaviour. Once these factors become affected, a person's support system starts to fall. These act as aggravating factors that contribute to sexual violence. No matter what age, using drugs and becoming dependant on them makes a person very vulnerable to sexual violence attacks.
Moreover, a study by Maryland Collabrative states that "studies have found that about half of sexual assaults on college campuses involve a situation in which the perpetrator, the victim, or both were consuming alcohol. Sexual assaults were more likely to occur in settings where alcohol was consumed (e.g., parties, bars). Often, potential perpetrators seek out such settings as a way of finding vulnerable individuals". This proves that alcohol can be a risk factor for victims but also a aggravating factor for the perpetrator. Additionally, alcohol might increase sexual arousal, and aggression among perpetrators; heavier drinkers also have personality characteristics that are associated with perpetration (e.g., antisocial behavior, orientation toward impersonal sex). Therefore by limiting alcohol and drug usage, the numbers of sexual assault fall down tremendously.
Mitigating Factors to stop SexualViolence
- Family and friend support
- Good Emotional health
- Academic success
- More job opportunities
- Relief and aid for poverty/ famine
- Creating protective environments
- Support previous victims and listen to their story to prevent the same attacker.
All these mitigating factors not only stop sexual violence but can stop many other issues that connect to this course. If someone has a goos support system, they do not feel the need to resort to drugs at a young age/ at all. Majority of the time people start doing drugs because they feel alone, and feel that drugs can take the "pain away". However those are just temporary reliefs because the scars in their mind never heal. with these factors they heal and work through the deep scars that a person may have on their mind. Therefore by ensuring everyone has some mitigating/ safe factors to get them out of a dark place is essential.
Personally, I have many of these factors to help me out during hard times which keeps me safe from sexual violence, and drug usage. My friends and family are always here for me no matter what and the same goes vice versa. Realizing how much their support or just a listening ear helps shows how if everyone had that support many issues like sexual violence and drug usage could be limited. I am lucky to be in a safe environment as a female, however some others in different countries are not offered that same privilege. Therefore, we as a community need to come together and help create safer environments globally, so that acts like sexual violence can be stopped.