Sexual assault is a form of abuse that involves one or more people forcing, coercing, and/or manipulating another person in order to gain sexual contact. Sexual assault can include rape (a forced sexual act that includes oral, anal or vaginal penetration.); unwanted touching, fondling, or kissing; forcing someone to look at or pose for pornographic material; or forced oral sex.
Sexual assault is a violent crime that involves power, aggression and control. Rape and sexual assault are never the victim/survivor’s fault. Sexual assault can happen anywhere, anytime of day, to anyone regardless of age, class, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or gender.
About 3% of American men, or 1 in 33, have experienced a rape or attempted rape (RAINN). An estimated 92, 748 men are raped each year in the United States (PCAR). Most sexual assaults to men are perpetrated by other males; however male rape has nothing to do with the sexuality of the offender or the victim. Just like rape of women, sexual assault is motivated by the perpetrator’s need to control, humiliate and harm.
Under-reporting of rape in general is always high, however when a male is victimized, under-reporting is often higher. Social stigmas, taboos and myths have often lead males to feel left out or afraid to report the crime. This ignorance adds to the shame and isolation that many male victims feel.
According to the US Department of Justice, most sexual assaults (approximately 2/3) are perpetrated by someone the victim/survivor knows and trusts. Seventy-three percent were perpetrated by a non-stranger; 38% by a friend or acquaintance; 28% by an intimate partner; and 7% by a relative.
According to RAINN (The Rape and Incest National Network) (www.rainn.org), every 2 minutes someone in America is sexually assaulted. They estimate that one in six women and one in 33 men are victims of rape.
According to the State Law Enforcement Division’s 2007 Crime Report, there were over 1,500 arrests for sex-related crimes across the state including:
In the Midlands these statistics are:
| Forced Rape | Forcible Sodomy | Sexual Assault with Object | Peep Tom | Statutory Rape | Forcible Fondling | Sexual Exposure | Incest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | |
| Newberry | 7 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | |||
| Richland | 29 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 31 | 19 | 3 |
What these statistics do not reflect are the vast majority of assaults that go unreported. Sexual assault remains the most underreported crime in America with approximately 60% of assaults going unreported to police or law enforcement (RAINN).
Get to a safe place immediately. Call Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands or 911 for help.
Report the incident. Try not to eat, drink, shower, smoke, bathe, douche, change clothes or go to the bathroom. This can be extremely difficult given the nature of a sexual assault and the aftereffects and responses victims often feel. Unfortunately, doing any of the above activities destroys evidence. Please try to go directly to the hospital to have medical evidence collected. The hospital will automatically contact the police and you will have the opportunity to file a report.
Get medical attention. You need to go to a hospital, clinic, or private doctor for treatment of external and/or internal injuries, possible pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Evidence can be collected for up to 72 hours after an assault occurs, but even if it has been longer than that time period you should still seek medical attention. Doctors and medical personnel can also provide information on support services.
If You Were Sexually Assaulted In The Past:
Our staff members and volunteers are trained to provide support and information, regardless of when the assault or abuse occurred. Whether you are male or female, child or adult, heterosexual or homosexual, rich or poor, single or married, regardless of your race or religion, we’re here for you. Sexual assault or abuse often affects your work, your personal relationships, and your outlook on life. Research shows that counseling helps survivors recover more quickly and more completely. We can help you work through your trauma.
Impact of Sexual Assault on the Survivor:
Sexual Trauma Services Provides:
Anonymous Reporting
The SC Legislature passed HB 3677 in 2009 to eliminate the requirement for law enforcement authorization prior to collection of a Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kit. Anonymous Reporting is an option where a victim of sexual assault can choose not to make an official incident report to law enforcement, yet still have forensic evidence collected. The evidence will be stored for one year, providing victims time to decided if they would like to pursue an investigation. If they do choose to pursue they may contact law enforcement or law enforcement may contact them, according to their wishes. If the victim does not wish to pursue, the evidence will be destroyed.
Studies indicate that youth are the most at-risk group for sexual violence in our community. With one in four girls and one in six boys experiencing a sexual assault before the age of 18, this crime has reached epidemic proportions (Darkness to Light).
According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (ncvc.org), child sexual abuse is any sexual contact with a child or teen, including but not limited to any sexual contact with children; forcing a child to have sexual contact with another (adult or child); showing a child pornographic material; exposing oneself to a child. Sexual abuse of children can happen to boys and/or girls of any age, race or background. Despite the popular belief that strangers more commonly hurt children, the truth is that children are most often abused by someone in a position of authority and trust to the family, a family member, friend, teacher, coach, minister, etc. It is most common that the abuser is someone that the family knows.
Signs of sexual abuse in children are not always physical in nature. However, physical signs can include redness or irritation in the genital area, urinary tract infections or STD/STIs, or stomach pain. More common are emotional and behavioral signs of abuse such as anger, hostility, irrational and extreme fear, depression and withdraw. Signs of abuse in teens can include those listed above as well as suicidal ideation, teen pregnancy, depression, running away, and promiscuity.
If you find physical signs of sexual abuse in a child or teen or if you have suspicions of abuse, have the child examined immediately. To get immediate information or to determine where to take a child you suspect is being abused, contact STSM’s 24-hour Crisis Hotline at 803-771-RAPE (7273) or 1-800-491-RAPE.
About 3% of American men, or 1 in 33, have experienced a rape or attempted rape (RAINN). An estimated 92, 748 men are raped each year in the United States (PCAR). Most sexual assaults to men are perpetrated by other males; however male rape has nothing to do with the sexuality of the offender or the victim. Just like rape of women, sexual assault is motivated by the perpetrator’s need to control, humiliate and harm.
Under-reporting of rape in general is always high, however when a male is victimized, under-reporting is often higher. Social stigmas, taboos and myths have often lead males to feel left out or afraid to report the crime. This ignorance adds to the shame and isolation that many male victims feel.
Overwhelming evidence indicates that the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by men against women. However, not all men are perpetrators! In fact, the majority of men have never raped or sexually assaulted anyone.
For decades men have been left out of the equation of violence prevention and the elimination of rape. We know, however, that this issue is not just a “women’s issue.” Sexual violence affects everyone. And it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure the violence stops.
Men play a very crucial role in rape prevention. From Men Can Stop Rape (www.mencanstoprape.org), here are a few of the ways men can help:
Effects of Alcohol
Top Ten Facts about Sexual Assault and Alcohol
(Information adapted from Sexual Assault Services at George Mason University, 2007)
When supporting a survivor of sexual violence it is important not to be judgmental and not to take control away from the survivor. If you can communicate and do the following it will generally assist healing:
Things you can do to help support them:
“I wake up every morning wondering if this is the day I will die at the hands of my stalker. I spend the day looking over my shoulder for him. I jump every time the phone rings. I can’t sleep at night from worrying. When I do sleep, I have nightmares of him. I can’t escape him for a minute. I never have a moment’s peace awake or asleep.” (NVAW, 2001)
Stalking refers to repeated harassing or threatening behavior putting a person in fear, such as:
1 out of every 12 US women will be stalked at some time in her lifetime. (NVAW, 2001)
3.4 million people over the age of 18 are stalked each year in the United States. (The National Center for Victims of Crime)
30% of stalking victims are stalked by a current or former intimate partner. (The National Center for Victims of Crime)
87% of stalking perpetrators are male. (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998)
Of all the women who were stalked by a current or former partner, 81% had also been assaulted by the partner, and 31% were also sexually assaulted by the partner. (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998)
Only half of stalking victims reported their case to law enforcement, of those, only one quarter of the cases resulted in arrest. (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998)
Cyber-stalking
Cyber-stalking is one of the latest variants of stalking behavior. In these scenarios, the stalker utilizes electronic mediums such as the Internet to pursue, harass, and intimidate another.
Cyber-stalking usually occurs with women, stalked by men, or children who are stalked by adult predators. Cyber-stalking victims are typically new online, and inexperienced with the rules of online etiquette. Cyber-predators count on the sense of security that children feel at home to lull children to let down their guard. There is a sense of intimacy online that cyber-predators take advantage of to convince children they are not strangers at all.
Online Safety Tips for Children
Stalking is a major problem affecting our culture. It is part of a continuum of violence that inflicts fear, violence and death. If you or someone you know is being stalked, please contact Sexual Trauma Services as soon as possible.
Everyone reacts differently after a trauma like sexual assault. Survivors experience a wide range of emotions from denial, anger, powerlessness, fear, guilt, depression, self-blame, scared, shocked, numbing, anxiety, and social isolation. Effects can last a lifetime. Some survivors have periods of their life where they feel no effects, and other periods where the effects are ever-present.
Many survivors of sexual assault and rape experience post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an extreme reaction to a situation which is outside the normal range of most human experience and which would be distressing to almost anyone, such as war, a threat, or an assault. Survivors that experience PTSD might experience sudden re-experiencing through flashbacks, or nightmares. PTSD might also cause avoidance (trying not to remember the event) or numbing of emotions. PTSD can also cause difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, or increased irritability. For more information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, visit The National Center for PTSD (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/ptsd101/ptsd-101.asp).
Imagine that you're at a party, club, or social event. You're with people you know, some you don't, but no one that you fear. What if a person slips something into your drink without you noticing? When the drug dissolves, it is colorless and odorless. It may also be tasteless. Or what if you are taking antibiotics or ingest a drug that interacts with alcohol. As you become drugged you are in a weakened, helpless, or unconscious state. You're so incapacitated that you can't escape or resist a rapist, or even call out for help. "No!" You're sexually assaulted. When you wake up, you’re not sure or can't remember what happened or who participated. The drug has affected your memory. The only thing you do know is that you feel hung over and can’t shake the horrible sensation that "something" happened. By the time you begin to remember, if you ever remember, the drug is quickly leaving your system. The evidence is gone, leaving your body violated and your mind robbed.
Substance Facilitated Sexual Assault is a harsh reality.
And it happens far too frequently.
Sedating substances leave anyone vulnerable to sexual assault. The use of drugs and other substances by rapists to sedate their victims is a centuries-old practice. Several medications in particular have received recent media attention regarding sexual assault, these are just a few:
| Drug | Use | Symtoms | Common Names | Specifics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GHB |
Central nervous system depressant manufactured illegally in the US. Originally a preoperative anesthetic and sleep aid. | Loss of motor control, nausea, delusions, impaired judgment, impaired memories, desires and libidos raised, loss of consciousness, seizures, coma, death. | Liquid ecstasy, Liquid X, Ellie, Clear X, X-rater, XTC, Chemical X, Liquid Dream, Scoop, Scoop Her, Get-Her-to-Bed, Grievous Bodily Harm, Soap, Fantasy, and Easy Lay | White powder or colorless, liquid. Powerful synthetic drug that acts as a depressant on the central nervous system and can be felt within 10-15 minutes of ingestion. Duration of effect depends on strength, it can range between 2 and 8 hrs. Drug disappears from the bloodstream within 8-10 hours. |
| Rohypnol Flunitrazepam |
Prescription medication for severe sleep disorders. Available outside the US. Manufactured by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. |
Muscle relaxation, disinhibition, depression of the Central Nervous System, nausea, blackouts, amnesia, excitability and aggressive behavior, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, stomach disturbances, agitation, seizures, coma, death. | Roofies, Ruffies, Roachies, Rope, Roopies, Rophy, Ruffles, Rib, R2, R2-Do-You, Circles, Forget It, Roach, Rape, La Rocha, Mind-Erasers, Mexican Valium, and the Forget Pill | White or dark blue, odorless, dime-sized tablet that easily dissolves in beverages. One dose is ten times stronger than Valium. Repeated use of the drug can cause dependency. It begins to take effect within 20-30 minutes of ingestion and usually lasts 8-12 hours. Drug disappears from blood stream within 24 hours and from urine samples within 48 hours. |
| Hydrochloride | veterinary medicine. | amnesia, death. | Vitamin K, K, Bump |
Other ways that victims can be incapacitated are through amphetamines, barbiturates, other benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and alcohol. These drugs may cause drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion, impaired motor skills, dizziness, lack of inhibition, impaired judgment, and reduced levels of consciousness. Sedatives combined with alcohol or other drugs may result in extremely low blood pressure, respiratory depression, difficulty breathing, coma, or even death.
Who Is an Adult Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse?
Possible Long-Term Effects:
MYTH: Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers
FACT: Approximately 80% of rape survivors know their assailant in some fashion prior to the assault.
MYTH: It can’t happen to me. I won’t be raped or assaulted.
FACT: One in four women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Approximately one in seven men will be victims of sexual assault.
MYTH: Women lie about rape in order to get revenge or because they feel guilty about having sex.
FACT: According to the FBI, only about 2% of all reported rape charges are found to be false. An individual is more likely to lie about being robbed than being sexually assaulted.
MYTH: Women ask to be raped.
FACT: The way people look, act, or dress does not invite sexual assault. No individual “asks” to be the victim of a violent crime. Nor is any person responsible for the violent criminal behavior of someone else. Sexual assaults are never the fault of the victim.
MYTH: Rapists are lonely, sexually unfulfilled men.
FACT: Rapists do not fit a stereotyped image. Assailants can be anyone from a family member, friend, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, co-worker or another acquaintance. Studies of convicted male rapists indicate that over 60% were married and virtually all had normal sexual relationships with women at the time they committed the assault.
MYTH: Boys and men cannot be sexually assaulted.
FACT: Again, approximately one in seven men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Unfortunately men often do not report sexual assaults because of even greater social stigma. If a male is sexually assaulted it does not mean he is or will become homosexual. Often sexual orientation of both the rapist and victim are not relevant to the assault that occurs.
MYTH: Most rapes occur in streets or parking garages.
FACT: The vast majority of rapes occur in either the victim or the assailant’s home.
MYTH: If people fought or resisted hard enough sexual assaults would not occur.
FACT: Most adult victims, even those who are not physically harmed, fear injury and death during a sexual assault. Children who are assaulted are often confused, unable to question the power and authority of the abuser, and do not know how to get help. Choosing not to fight is not the same as giving consent.