Lect 18 the Trauma of Rape

7/30/2019 Lect 18 the Trauma of Rape

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The Trauma Of Rape

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The experience of rape inflicts severe

trauma on a victim. Rape is a criminal act of violence in which

sexual relations, typically intercourse, are

forced on one person by another. In most cases, the victim is a woman.

Our concern here is with a victim's

response to rape, which can vary

depending on a number of factors.

Abnormal Psychology 1 2


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In a "stranger" rape; one in which the

victim does not know the offender-the victim

is likely to experience strong fear of physicalharm and death.

In an "acquaintance" rape the reaction is

slightly different (Ellison, 1977). In such a

situation the victim not only may feel fear, but

also may feel that she has been betrayed by

someone she had trusted. She may feel more

responsible for what happened and

experience greater guilt.Abnormal Psychology 1 3


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She may also be more hesitant to seek help

or report the rape to the police out of fear

that she will be held partiallyresponsible for it.

The age and life circumstances of a victim

may also influence her reaction.

For a young child who knows nothing about

sexual behavior, rape can lead to sexual scars

and confusion, particularly if the child is

encouraged to forget about the experience

without thoroughly talking it over first .Abnormal Psychology 1 4


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For young adult women, rape can increase the

conflicts over independence and separation

that are normal in this age group. In an effort to be helpful, parents of these

victims may encourage various forms of

regression, such as moving back to thefamily home, which may prevent mastery of

this developmental phase.

Married rape victims with children face thetask of explaining their experience to their

children.Abnormal Psychology 1 5


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Sometimes the sense of vulnerability that

results from rape leaves a woman feeling

temporarily unable to care for her children.

Husbands and boyfriends can also influence

rape victims' reactions by their attitudes and

behavior.

Rejection, blaming, uncontrolled anger at the

offender, or insistence on a quick resumptionof sexual activity can increase victims'

negative feelings.



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In a recent formulation of the stress women

experience following rape, McCann (1988)

found empirical evidence of problems in fiveareas of functioning:

(a) physical disturbances, including hyperarousal

(b) emotional problems, such as anxiousness,depressed mood, and low self-esteem;

(c) cognitive dysfunctioning, including disturbed

concentration and the experience of intrusive

thoughts;



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(d) atypical behavioral acts, such as aggressive,

antisocial actions and substance abuse

(e) interference in social relationships, includingsexual problems, intimacy problems, and

further victimization.



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Coping Behavior of Rape Victims

The research on rape victims soon after their

rapes has provided clear insights into theemotional turmoil and psychological

processes they go through in coping with their

experiences .

The following sections summarize these

findings and integrate the feelings and

problems women experience at different

points of their traumas.



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Anticipatory phase..

This period occurs before an actual rape when

an offender "sets up" a victim and the victimbegins to perceive that a dangerous situation

exists.

In the early minutes of this phase, the victimoften uses defense mechanisms such as

denial to preserve an illusion of

invulnerability.

Common thoughts are "Rape could never

happen to me" or "He doesn't really mean

that."Abnormal Psychology 1 10


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Impact phase. This phase begins with a

victim's recognition that she is actually going

to be raped and ends when the rape is over. The victim's first reaction is usually intense

fear for her life, a fear much stronger than her

fear of the sexual act itself. Symonds (1976) has described the paralytic

effect of intense fear on victims of crime,

showing that this fear usually leads to varyingdegrees of disintegration in the victim's

functioning and possibly to complete inability

to act. Abnormal Psychology 1 11


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Roth and Lebowitz (1988) found that the

sexual trauma "confronts the individual" with

emotions and images that are difficult tomanage and may have long-term adjustment

consequences.

When the victim later recalls her behaviorduring the assault, she may feel guilty

about not reacting more efficiently, and she

needs to be reassured that her actions werenormal.



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Major physiological reactions such as vomiting

sometimes occur during this phase, but

victims who try to simulate such reactions inorder to escape generally discover that they

cannot produce them voluntarily.



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Posttraumatic recoil phase. This phase begins

immediately after a rape. Burgess and

Holmstrom (1974, 1976) observed twoemotional styles among the rape victims they

interviewed in hospital emergency rooms.

Some victims exhibited an expressed stylewhere feelings of fear and anxiety were

shown through crying, sobbing, and

restlessness. Others demonstrated a controlled style in

which feelings appeared to be masked by a

calm, controlled, subdued facade.Abnormal Psychology 1 14


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Regardless of style, most victims felt guilty

about the way they had reacted to the

offender and wished that they had reactedfaster or fought harder.

Excessive self-blame has been associated with

poor long-term adjustment. Feelings of dependency were increased, &

victims often had to be encouraged & helped

to call friends or parents and make otherarrangements.



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Physical problems, such as general

tension, nausea, sleeplessness, andtrauma directly related to the rape, were

common.



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Reconstitution phase

This phase begins as a victim starts to make

plans for leaving the emergency room or

crisis center.

It ends, often many months later, when thestress of the rape has been assimilated, the

experience shared with significant others,

and the victim's self-concept restored. Certain behaviors and symptoms are

typical during this phase.



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1- Motor activity, such as changing one's

telephone number and moving to a new

residence, is common.

The victim's fear is often well justified at

this point because, even in the unlikelyevent that the offender has been

arrested and charged with rape, he is

often out on bail.



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2- Frightening nightmares in which the rape is

relived are common. As the victim moves

closer toward assimilating the experience, thecontent of the dreams gradually shifts until

the victim successfully fights off the

assailant.3- Phobias-including fear of the indoors or

outdoors (depending on where the rape

took place), fear of being alone, fear ofcrowds, fear of being followed, and sexual

fears-have been observed to develop im-

mediately following rape.Abnormal Psychology 1 19

C li R Vi ti


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Counseling Rape Victims

The women's movement has played a crucial

role in establishing specialized rape counselingservices, such as rape crisis centers and

hotlines.

Rape crisis centers provide both psychologicalcounseling and advocacy services with the

intent of helping rape victims cope with their

crisis and its aftermath. Such intervention canhave a significant impact on psychological

recovery from rape.Abnormal Psychology 1 20


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Crisis centers also have victim advocacy

services in which a trained volunteer

accompanies a victim to a hospital or policestation, helps her understand the procedures.

In a study of the counseling needs of rape

victims, Mezey and Taylor (1988) reportedthat rape victims needed to better understand

the trauma situation and desired information

about how they could cope with theirdramatically altered lives.


h l f d h d


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They also found that rape victims wanted to

talk with other women who had gone through

similar experiences. Long-term Effects Whether a rape victim

experience a psychological decompensation

depends to a large extent on her past copingskills and level of psychological functioning.

A previously well-adjusted woman usually will

regain her prior equilibrium, but rape canprecipitate severe pathology in a woman with

psychological difficultiesAbnormal Psychology 1 22


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Lect 18 the Trauma of Rape

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