CaptainMichael
August 23rd, 2008, 02:29 AM
Rape
Definition
Rape, or sexual assault, is the act of sexual intercourse with one or more persons who did not consent to it. It may involve penetration or not. In most countries it is a criminal offense, and merits jail time for the perpetrator. It, unfortunately, does happen, and causes both physical, and emotional damage for the victims.
Statistics
Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted
In 2006, there were 272,350 victims of sexual assault (NationalCrime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.)
1 in 6 (approx. 16.6%) females, and 1 in 33 (approx .03%) males will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetimes.
College aged women are 400% times more likely to be raped
60% of sexual assaults do not get reported to the authorities.
Since 1993, reporting of such crimes has increased but 33%.
Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailant.
Only 6% of rapists spend 1 night in prison
About 44% or rape victims are under the age of 18
15% of rape victims are under the age of 12.
93% of the rape victims age 18 and under knew the rapist. Of these rapists, 34.2% were family members and 58.7% were acquaintances.
If it is you
If it is you who has been raped, there are a few things you can do.
Go straight to the police; waiting a few days will compromise the evidence needed to capture the rapist.
Failing that, go to the hospital (You should anyway), so that you may be treated for whatever injuries (emotional too) you may have sustained in the incident.
TELL SOMEONE, don't live in silence. It will make it harder to forget.
There are a number of helplines and websites dedicated to rape victims below.
Rape and Suicide
Childhood and adulthood victims of rape are more likely to attempt or commit suicide. The association remains, even after controlling for sex, age, education, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and the presence of psychiatric disorders. The experience of being raped can lead to suicidal behavior as early as adolescence. In Ethiopia, 6% of raped schoolgirls reported having attempted suicide. A study of adolescents in Brazil found prior sexual abuse to be a leading factor predicting several health risk behaviours, including suicidal thoughts and attempts.
The Aftermath of Rape
vaginal bleeding or infection
fibroids
decreased sexual desire
genital irritation
pregnancy (see below)
Rape and Pregnancy
In the U.S. around 5% of rapes end in pregnancy. This produced around 32,000 pregnancies per annum. If you are female, and were raped, go straight to your G.P. and get the "Morning After Pill".
The Morning After Pill is not an abortion. It prevents pregnancy from occurring. It stops the plantation of the fertilized embryo onto the womb's wall; thus not terminating pregnancy, in fact it prevents it from starting.
It is contraception. However, in some states, some Catholic hospitals, are not required to provide it as a form of emergency contraception. Therefore I am not suggesting you pick which hospital to go to when you have been raped, go to your General Practitioner.
THE MORNING AFTER PILL WILL ONLY WORK 72 HOURS AFTER THE INTERCOURSE.
Rape and STDs
Unfortunately, in every case of rape there is a risk of contracting a STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). The most common STD in these cases is HIV.Adolescent girls are particularly susceptible to HIV infection through forced sex, and even through unforced sex, because their vaginal mucous membranes have not yet acquired cellular density sufficient to provide an effective barrier that develops in the later teenage years. Those who suffer anal rape are also considerably more susceptible to HIV than would be the case if the sex were not forced, since anal tissues can be easily damaged, again allowing the virus an easier entry into the body.
Criminal Punishment in Rape Cases
U.S.A. (wikipedia)
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg212/michael_ennis/REAPESTHJnga.jpg
Support
If you are in need of support here are some contact numbers and websites categorized by country.
United States Of America
Call 911
Call Suicide hotline : 1-800-SUICIDE
Nation Sexual Assault Hotline : 1-800-656-HOPE
Canada
http://www.infocava.ca/ - Canadian Association for Victim Assistance
http://www.crcvc.ca/en/links/ - Canadian Resource for Victims of Crime
Call: 911
United Kingdom
Call 999
Terrence Higgins Trust (Confidential HIV hotline) 12pm-10pm on 0207 242 101
Childline- Free for children's help - 0800 1111
Republic Of Ireland
Call 999 or 112
Call FREEPHONE 1800 778888 -Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.garda.ie
http://www.suicide.org/rape-victims-prone-to-suicide.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
http://www.hotpeachpages.net/canada/index.html
Edit:
I just wanted to stress the importance of reporting rape whenever it happens. Some may find it hard to believe but a huge number of victims do not report the event simply because their ashamed, disgusted, scared and so on..
But not reporting it is wrong, rape is a crime and not reporting it and not doing everything possible to make sure the person sick enough to do this to You and others goes to jail almost always ensures the same thing happening again to another victim in the future.
And to illustrate my point of view here is a story posted by one of our members
I was thinking about posting this for awhile... not really sure how some of you would react, but I think it's a story that needs sharing. It's not really my story, it's my sister's; and I would never dream of sharing it without her permission, but she's been more vocal in recent years about getting the message out, so here goes:
A number of years ago, my older sister (who at the time was 17), was walking home from a concert downtown. She had went with three of her friends, so she felt safe. Her friends got off the subway two stops before she did. Making the short trip from the subway to her bus stop alone, she was assaulted and raped. I won't go into details, but that part's actually worse than it sounds.
She went to the hospital where they did a lot of tests. I was too young at the time to fully understand what had happend; all I knew was someone had hurt my big 'sis. She stayed there for a few days for observation, but thankfully her body was not seriously injured and the STI tests all came back negative.
While she was in the hospital, she gave a description of the man who attacked her. My mom and dad wouldn't let me be in the room with her when she did that, but I watched through the window as the detectives talked and took notes. To this day I still remember the look they shared with each other. The look I now know to mean "Oh, that guy. Yeah, we know him."
The man was arrested the very next day and charged with several Class A indictable offences. My sister was forced to testify (which was yet another trauma) but he was found guilty. This ass wipe is currently serving a 25 year prison term.
Justice served, right?
Not entirely.
Added to the simple fact that taking away this man's freedom in no way equates to making things right for my sister, this story has the added tragedy of never having to have happened.
You see, my sister wasn't this man's first victim.
Only six months earlier charges against him for raping another young woman had been dropped because she had refused to testify. The Crown could have issued a subpoena, but chose to respect her wish to be left alone.
For a long time, I felt my sister had paid the price for this woman's cowardice. It's a horrible thing to say, I know this now, but for I long time I hated that other woman almost as much as I did the bastard who hurt my sister. It wasn't her fault of course. You can't help feeling what you feel: whether that be fear, or shame or anger... you just feel it. I get that now.
Still... I can't help but think how my sister's life, my family's life, would have been different if that other woman had come forward; or if the Crown pushed the issue.
Rape is a crime I can't even begin to comprehend, but if you're one of the many young women every year who fails victim to it, I would urge you, for the sake of every woman after you that that person may harm, report the crime and follow it through to the end.
Thanks for your time.
So whoever and where ever You are and no matter what was done to You: find the strength to fight and make sure the person(s) who did it to You never get the chance to do so ever again.
-Hyper
Definition
Rape, or sexual assault, is the act of sexual intercourse with one or more persons who did not consent to it. It may involve penetration or not. In most countries it is a criminal offense, and merits jail time for the perpetrator. It, unfortunately, does happen, and causes both physical, and emotional damage for the victims.
Statistics
Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted
In 2006, there were 272,350 victims of sexual assault (NationalCrime Victimization Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.)
1 in 6 (approx. 16.6%) females, and 1 in 33 (approx .03%) males will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetimes.
College aged women are 400% times more likely to be raped
60% of sexual assaults do not get reported to the authorities.
Since 1993, reporting of such crimes has increased but 33%.
Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailant.
Only 6% of rapists spend 1 night in prison
About 44% or rape victims are under the age of 18
15% of rape victims are under the age of 12.
93% of the rape victims age 18 and under knew the rapist. Of these rapists, 34.2% were family members and 58.7% were acquaintances.
If it is you
If it is you who has been raped, there are a few things you can do.
Go straight to the police; waiting a few days will compromise the evidence needed to capture the rapist.
Failing that, go to the hospital (You should anyway), so that you may be treated for whatever injuries (emotional too) you may have sustained in the incident.
TELL SOMEONE, don't live in silence. It will make it harder to forget.
There are a number of helplines and websites dedicated to rape victims below.
Rape and Suicide
Childhood and adulthood victims of rape are more likely to attempt or commit suicide. The association remains, even after controlling for sex, age, education, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and the presence of psychiatric disorders. The experience of being raped can lead to suicidal behavior as early as adolescence. In Ethiopia, 6% of raped schoolgirls reported having attempted suicide. A study of adolescents in Brazil found prior sexual abuse to be a leading factor predicting several health risk behaviours, including suicidal thoughts and attempts.
The Aftermath of Rape
vaginal bleeding or infection
fibroids
decreased sexual desire
genital irritation
pregnancy (see below)
Rape and Pregnancy
In the U.S. around 5% of rapes end in pregnancy. This produced around 32,000 pregnancies per annum. If you are female, and were raped, go straight to your G.P. and get the "Morning After Pill".
The Morning After Pill is not an abortion. It prevents pregnancy from occurring. It stops the plantation of the fertilized embryo onto the womb's wall; thus not terminating pregnancy, in fact it prevents it from starting.
It is contraception. However, in some states, some Catholic hospitals, are not required to provide it as a form of emergency contraception. Therefore I am not suggesting you pick which hospital to go to when you have been raped, go to your General Practitioner.
THE MORNING AFTER PILL WILL ONLY WORK 72 HOURS AFTER THE INTERCOURSE.
Rape and STDs
Unfortunately, in every case of rape there is a risk of contracting a STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). The most common STD in these cases is HIV.Adolescent girls are particularly susceptible to HIV infection through forced sex, and even through unforced sex, because their vaginal mucous membranes have not yet acquired cellular density sufficient to provide an effective barrier that develops in the later teenage years. Those who suffer anal rape are also considerably more susceptible to HIV than would be the case if the sex were not forced, since anal tissues can be easily damaged, again allowing the virus an easier entry into the body.
Criminal Punishment in Rape Cases
U.S.A. (wikipedia)
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg212/michael_ennis/REAPESTHJnga.jpg
Support
If you are in need of support here are some contact numbers and websites categorized by country.
United States Of America
Call 911
Call Suicide hotline : 1-800-SUICIDE
Nation Sexual Assault Hotline : 1-800-656-HOPE
Canada
http://www.infocava.ca/ - Canadian Association for Victim Assistance
http://www.crcvc.ca/en/links/ - Canadian Resource for Victims of Crime
Call: 911
United Kingdom
Call 999
Terrence Higgins Trust (Confidential HIV hotline) 12pm-10pm on 0207 242 101
Childline- Free for children's help - 0800 1111
Republic Of Ireland
Call 999 or 112
Call FREEPHONE 1800 778888 -Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.garda.ie
http://www.suicide.org/rape-victims-prone-to-suicide.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
http://www.hotpeachpages.net/canada/index.html
Edit:
I just wanted to stress the importance of reporting rape whenever it happens. Some may find it hard to believe but a huge number of victims do not report the event simply because their ashamed, disgusted, scared and so on..
But not reporting it is wrong, rape is a crime and not reporting it and not doing everything possible to make sure the person sick enough to do this to You and others goes to jail almost always ensures the same thing happening again to another victim in the future.
And to illustrate my point of view here is a story posted by one of our members
I was thinking about posting this for awhile... not really sure how some of you would react, but I think it's a story that needs sharing. It's not really my story, it's my sister's; and I would never dream of sharing it without her permission, but she's been more vocal in recent years about getting the message out, so here goes:
A number of years ago, my older sister (who at the time was 17), was walking home from a concert downtown. She had went with three of her friends, so she felt safe. Her friends got off the subway two stops before she did. Making the short trip from the subway to her bus stop alone, she was assaulted and raped. I won't go into details, but that part's actually worse than it sounds.
She went to the hospital where they did a lot of tests. I was too young at the time to fully understand what had happend; all I knew was someone had hurt my big 'sis. She stayed there for a few days for observation, but thankfully her body was not seriously injured and the STI tests all came back negative.
While she was in the hospital, she gave a description of the man who attacked her. My mom and dad wouldn't let me be in the room with her when she did that, but I watched through the window as the detectives talked and took notes. To this day I still remember the look they shared with each other. The look I now know to mean "Oh, that guy. Yeah, we know him."
The man was arrested the very next day and charged with several Class A indictable offences. My sister was forced to testify (which was yet another trauma) but he was found guilty. This ass wipe is currently serving a 25 year prison term.
Justice served, right?
Not entirely.
Added to the simple fact that taking away this man's freedom in no way equates to making things right for my sister, this story has the added tragedy of never having to have happened.
You see, my sister wasn't this man's first victim.
Only six months earlier charges against him for raping another young woman had been dropped because she had refused to testify. The Crown could have issued a subpoena, but chose to respect her wish to be left alone.
For a long time, I felt my sister had paid the price for this woman's cowardice. It's a horrible thing to say, I know this now, but for I long time I hated that other woman almost as much as I did the bastard who hurt my sister. It wasn't her fault of course. You can't help feeling what you feel: whether that be fear, or shame or anger... you just feel it. I get that now.
Still... I can't help but think how my sister's life, my family's life, would have been different if that other woman had come forward; or if the Crown pushed the issue.
Rape is a crime I can't even begin to comprehend, but if you're one of the many young women every year who fails victim to it, I would urge you, for the sake of every woman after you that that person may harm, report the crime and follow it through to the end.
Thanks for your time.
So whoever and where ever You are and no matter what was done to You: find the strength to fight and make sure the person(s) who did it to You never get the chance to do so ever again.
-Hyper