Rebecca T. Klein - Rape and Sexual Assault: Healing and Recovery

Published in 2014 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright 2014 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Klein, Rebecca T.

Rape and sexual assault: healing and recovery/Rebecca T. Klein.First edition.

pages cm.(Helpline: teen issues and answers)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4488-9449-9 (library binding)

1. Rape victims. 2. Rape victimsRehabilitation 3. Sexually abused teenagers.

4. Sexually abused teenagersRehabilitation. I. Title.

HV6558.K556 2013

362.883dc23

2012041016

Manufactured in the United States of America

CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #S13YA: For further information, contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York, at 1-800-237-9932.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 Defining Rape and Sexual Assault

Chapter 2 Visiting the Emergency Room and Reporting the Crime

Chapter 3 Physical and Psychological Effects of Sexual Assault

Chapter 4 Beginning to Heal

Chapter 5 Activism and Support: Helping Others to Heal

Glossary

For More Information

For Further Reading

Bibliography

Index

INTRODUCTION

Maybe youre reading this because you have a friend who has been sexually assaulted and you are trying to understand her experience. Maybe you are doing research for a paper or simply seeking knowledge for knowledges sake. Whatever your reason for reading, and especially if you are a survivor or a friend of a survivor, it is important to remember that there is no panacea for recovering from a sexual assault or rape. It is an ongoing process, and no one moves through that process in exactly the same way. Here, you will find an overview of many issues that are common to lots of survivors of sexual assault, but there is no way to be sure that everything a survivor might experience is covered. The advice given here is based on research and conversation, but you are encouraged to seek out other resources as well. Visit the Web sites of the organizations mentioned throughout, and check out the books mentioned in the For Further Reading section. Keep in mind that everyones experience is unique, and so is their recovery. This is why self-care is so important and why finding a professional counselor or therapist with whom you connect can be so helpful. A therapist can work with you to develop a plan for your specific recovery.

We will begin by discussing the different types of sexual assault and rape. Often, the recovery process is hindered by the fact that the victim does not recognize the experience as assault, which is one reason why its important to cover these definitions. The second section covers the processes of visiting the emergency room and reporting the crime immediately after the assault. The third discusses some of the common effects of sexual assault, while the fourth and fifth sections offer advice on healing and taking back power through supporting others and helping others to heal. This structure is meant to mirror the process of recovery, of first understanding and naming what has happened to you, then dealing with the immediate effects, and eventually moving from feeling like a victim to feeling like a survivor. After reading the information contained here, continue to seek out other sources of advice and support, whether you are a survivor, a loved one of a survivor, or someone who is simply seeking to understand the process of recovering from rape and sexual assault. The more we learn about sexual violence, its effects, and how to help people recover, the more we can do to help each other heal.

If you are dealing with rape or any other type of sexual assault, it can be incredibly helpful to have someone you can talk to.

CHAPTER 1

Defining Rape and Sexual Assault

W hen you have experienced a trauma like rape or sexual assault, it is incredibly important and helpful to be able to give words to the experience, to name it so that you can begin to recover. When something horrible happens and you dont know how to describe it, it can be very hard to talk to others about it, or even to process it in your own mind. Giving a name to the horrible thing that happened can help pin it down so that you can begin to process it, deal with it, and recover from it. Rape and sexual assault take many forms, and people use lots of different terms to talk about these forms. All that language can be confusing, and it helps to have a breakdown of all the various words. Lets talk about those terms and what they mean.

After experiencing a rape or assault, it can be hard to organize all of the thoughts in your head. Sometimes, knowing the common terminology for your experience can help.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

An assault is any type of attack by a person upon another person, using verbal or physical force. Sexual assault happens when someone is attacked without consent in a sexual manner. The word rape is used when the attack involves sexual intercourse. Sexual intercourse means penetrationthat is, when someone puts something inside your body, whether it is a penis, fingers, or a foreign object. We will discuss rape in more detail later in this section, and well talk about the different types of rape that can occur. It is also important to know, however, that rape is not the only form of sexual assault. Any sexual behavior that occurs without consent is considered assault. Here are a few other forms of sexual assault.

I Dont Know If It Was Assault

If something traumatic has happened to you but it does not fit any of these descriptions, do not by any means feel that you need to discount your experience. Some sexual experiences are very much in a gray area. For instance, if you didnt say no or physically resist, but you still felt coerced or pressured, it can be hard to make sense of the situation. But remember, just because something does not fit a legal definition of rape or assault does not mean that it hasnt affected the person to whom it happened. Any sort of sexual experience that leaves you feeling upset, taken advantage of, manipulated, or dehumanized deserves processing and attention. Even if there are not legal steps to take in the situation, therapy can help, and many of the same recovery techniques used by survivors of rape and sexual assault can be useful. If you are struggling with any kind of sexual experience that has negatively affected you, consider speaking with a school counselor, a parent, or another adult that you trust about what happened. That person can direct you toward resources to help you deal with your experience, and sometimes just speaking to someone else about what happened and how you feel can be a huge step toward recovery.

You should seek guidance and support any time you are dealing with a sexual experience that made you feel uncomfortable, even if you dont think it was technically an assault.