Sexual abuse, also known as sexual assault, is any sort of sexual activity that one doesn’t agree to which includes, inappropriate touching, vaginal, anal, or oral penetration, sexual intercourse that one says no to, rape, attempted rape, as well as child molestation.
Sexual abuse is usually verbal or visual. It can also be anything that forces a person to be in unwanted sexual contact. There are many examples of sexual abuse like voyeurism, exhibitionism, incest, and sexual harassment. Voyeurism means when a person has sexual interest in people that are engaged in private intimate behaviors. Exhibitionism refers to one’s desire of exposing his/her parts of their body in public. Incest is sexual intercourse between family members. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere by anyone whether it’s a stranger or someone a person knows. Most sexually abused women suffer serious health problems as well as emotional problems.
According to “Violence Against Women: Partner and Sexual Assault” (2004), it is estimated that there is 5.3 million interpersonal violence victimizations that have occurred among the US women of ages 18 years and older. This has resulted in nearly 2 million injuries with more than 550,000 requiring medical aid. A recent survey has shown that approximately 1 out of 5 female students that are between grades 9 and 12 have reported that they have been sexually and/or physically abused by their date (Donohoe, 2004). Dating violence is usually at increased risk when there is substance usage involved. It is also found that fifteen percent to twenty percent of women that are seen in primary care clinics are abused within the past years. Also, in the emergency departments, the 22% to 35% of women that are treated for t...
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...re better equipped in handling and reporting abuse routinely. Also, changes in laws to protect the victims would improve the status of women.
Works Cited
Campbell, R., Greeson, M., & Patterson, D. (2011). Defining the boundaries: How sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) balance patient care and law enforcement collaboration. Journal of Forensic Nursing, 7, 17-26.
Donohoe, M. (2004). Violence against women: Partner abuse and sexual assault. Retrieved from http://phsj.org/files/Women's Health/partner abuse and sexual assault - Hospital Physician.pdf
Howard, A., Riger, S., Campbell, R., & Wasco, S.M. (2003). Counseling services for battered women: A comparison of outcomes for physical and sexual abuse survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 717-734.
Travis, C. (1988). Women and health psychology. LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES.
An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today (Darness2Light, 2009a ). This figure continues to grow daily as perpetrators of this crime continue in this destructive path. The definition of child sexual abuse is the force, coercion, or cajoling of children into sexual activities by a dominant adult or adolescent. Sexual abuse of children includes touching (physical) sexually including: fondling; penetration (vaginal or anal using fingers, foreign objects or offenders organs; oral sex, or non-physical contact including: sexual comments; indecent exposures; masturbating in a child’s presence; child prostitution or child pornography (Child Welfare, 2009a).
Schewe, P., Riger, S., Howard, A., Staggs, S., & Mason, G. (2006). Factors Associated with Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victimization. Journal Of Family Violence, 21(7), 469-475. doi:10.1007/s10896-006-9042-2
Sexual abuse; defined as any sexual activity, practice or instruction which either meets the criminal definition or is unhealthy for a child considering his/her age and level of development.
The most notable discovery or key concept behind intimate partner violence with women as victims, would be that the overall rates have seen a general decrease. As found in the National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicide report, "Spousal homicide rates for both women and men have declined between 1974 and 2000" (Bunge, 2002). Many of the authors discussed present different perspecti...
Smith, P. H., Thornton, G. E., DeVellis, R., Earp, J., & Coker, A. L. (2002). A population-based study of the prevalence and distinctiveness of battering, physical assault, and sexual assault in intimate relationships. Violence Against Women, 8, 1208-1232.
Domestic abuse is a significant and threatening issue in the United States. Sadly, the rates of this shameful violence are increasing. This violence is not limited to the privacy of relationships and homes, it occurs everywhere and in all relationships. Football player, Ray Rice portrayed an act of domestic violence when he punched his wife and knocked her unconscious on February 15 of 2014. Women are heavily affected by this abuse and it’s the leading cause of injuries on women. According to crime reports (qtd. in “Domestic Violence”), one woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States. Also, according to a report (qtd. in “Domestic Violence”), domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. Domestic abuse is not simple, it has a historical context to it, it creates abusive cycles in relationships, and it links to economic statuses.
SEXUAL ABUSE: Coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact without consent, e.g., marital rape, forcing sex after physical beating, attacks on sexual parts of the body or treating another in a sexually demeaning manner.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, May 21). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from Domestic violence against women: Recognize patterns, seek help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/domestic-violence/art-20048397?p=1
Sexual abuse is another type of child abuse. It is any type of sexual activity that a child cannot understand or give consent to. Some examples of this are: fondling, oral-genital contact, genital or anal intercourse, exhibitionism, voyeurism and exposure to pornography (National Council On Child Abuse And Family Violence...) Some signs of sexual abuse are: the child has trouble sitting or standing,...
Women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of intimate partner violence. With college campus domestic violence, there is more harm done mentally than physically. The broken bones, busted lips, and scratches can be healed but the women’s psyche may not. Domestic violence and other abuse is the most prevalent cause of depression and other mental health difficulties in women. Domestic violence causes women to blame themselves. A young woman that has been abused has a high chance of having low self esteem problems, higher suicide rates, and severe depression. Domestic violence chews away at a woman with self respect. It slowly but surely takes the confidence as it happens more often. The longer a woman is abused, the more she is taken away from reality.
Sexual abuse includes any sexual act in which one person has not agreed to it. A woman can be sexually abused by means of, but not limited to force, coercion, blackmail, threat, or embarrassment. Sexual abuse may occur when a woman is forced to perform, watch, or in any other way engage in sexual acts. This includes but is not limited to vaginal, anal and oral sex, fondling, touching, disrespect of privacy, such as showering, being forced to watch pornography or view pornographic pictures, being forced into sexual poses, or being verbally abused in a sexual manner (Morris and Biehl 36, Haley 14).
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is historically referred to as domestic violence. It describes a pattern of coercive and assaultive behavior that may include psychological abuse, progressive isolation, sexual assault, physical injury, stalking, intimidation, deprivation, and reproductive coercion among partners (The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF), 1999). IPV leads to lifelong consequences such as lasting physical impairment, emotional trauma, chronic health problems, and even death. It is an issue effecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003). More than one in three women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). Thirty to sixty percent of perpetrators tend to also abuse children in the household (Edelson, 1999). Witnessing violence between parents or caretakers is considered the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next (Break the Cycle, 2006).
Sexual abuse is “The use of psychological abuse tactics to keep an intimate partner in a submissive position of power. Strategies include sexual degradation, non-contact unwanted sexual experience (e.g., being forced to watch pornography), and reproductive and sexual control,” (Bagwell-Gray, Messing, & Baldwin-White, 2015, p. 323). It is low in force, because non-physical control tactics are used, and it is low in invasiveness because no sexual penetration is involved. Sexual abuse is different than sexual coercion in that the perpetrator is not coercing sex but is rather controlling sex-related decision making. Some examples of sexually controlling acts are refusing to wear condoms, having sex outside the primary relationship, and birth control sabotage (Campbell & Soeken,
Domestic violence is not just fighting, hitting or an occasional argument. It’s a chronic abuse of power. The abuser of domestic violence, controls and tortures the victim of threats, intimidation, and physical violence. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of violence in America. The abusers are not only men, women can be abusers as well. Women make up the vast majority of domestic violence. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), 90-95% of domestic violence victims are females and 70% of intimidating homicides are females. Domestic violence is a serious crime and everyone needs to be aware of its effects. This essay presents and explains the evidence supporting the major risk factors for intimate partner homicides.
Two of the most common forms of abuse in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are intimate partner abuse and coerced sex. Intimate partner abuse is almost always accompanied by serious psychological abuse and in one quarter to one half of cases is also accompanied by forced sex. Most women that are abused numerous times often become terrified of their partners. Many are scared to speak to someone about the abuse due to the fear that the abuse will get worse if reported (www.infoforhealth.org).