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Chrisula Tasiopoulos is the Program Coordinator for Sexual Assault Support Services, a program through Women's Health & Counseling Center in Somerville. Tasiopoulos provides individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and training to local professionals. SASS provides to Somerset County residents a 24-hour hotline, hospital and police accompaniments, information and referrals, outreach programs to area schools and other agencies, volunteer opportunities, as well as raising awareness to help prevent sexual violence. TOPICS Creating awareness of sexual-assault prevention Trauma of sexual assault and abuse
Creating Awareness of Sexual-Assault Prevention appeared Sunday, April 1, 2007
At this moment, think about all the different factors that affect your health. You may have thought about pollution, smoking, genetics, stress, or food. What you may not have thought about is how sexual violence can affect our health, not just as individuals, but collectively as a community.
In order to understand how sexual violence impacts our health, we must recognize how much of a problem this actually is. Take a moment and shed all the things you have heard about victims and perpetrators of sexual violence and consider the following:
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Over 327,000 adult women in · 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been sexually assaulted or abused before the age of 18 · The majority of victims, about 75%, know their assailant · The average age of rapists at arrest is 31. 52% are white; 22% of imprisoned rapists are reportedly married · 9 out of every 10 sexual assault victims are female · Only about 1 in 3 sexual assaults are reported to law enforcement, and in the end, only about 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail Unfortunately, sexual assault happens every day. It is a crime committed by the people we know and trust, and the effects can last a lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention reports that there are many long-lasting physical symptoms and illnesses that have been associated with sexual victimization, including chronic pelvic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, and a variety of chronic pain disorders, including headache, back pain, and facial pain. Additionally, between 5% and 30% of sexual assault survivors contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
The impact is not just physical. Survivors of sexual violence exhibit a variety of psychological symptoms that are similar to those of victims of other types of trauma, such as war and natural disaster. Approximately one-third of survivors have symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that continue for three months following the assault or become chronic. Survivors are also at a significantly greater risk of depression, and are more likely to attempt or commit suicide than those who have not been victimized.
The cost of sexual violence to individuals cannot be measured, but for those needing to seek appropriate care to help remedy these symptoms, one can only imagine the financial burden this can place on an individual or a family. What often compounds this is the lack of compassion and understanding we have as a society about this problem. There are inherent myths we hear in questions such as “Why was she out so late drinking?”, “What was she doing in his room?”, “He is such a nice and good-looking guy, why would he need to rape someone?”, or the classic “Why was she dressed that way? She must have wanted it”. The truth is simply that victims are not to blame for having been sexually victimized. It is more important to ask why this problem exists, what factors in our society allow this to occur and continue, and what was the perpetrator doing and how can we make sure that we hold that person accountable?
Let us not place additional burden on survivors by believing myths and withdrawing our support. The problem of sexual violence is a problem that should be addressed each day until we can feel confident that we have eliminated this problem entirely.
What can you do?
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This is a wonderful opportunity to take the time to become more informed about the problem of sexual violence.
If we are to make a difference of any kind, we can at least start at the beginning of each new day with those around us.
Support for victims of violence: Understanding the trauma of sexual assault and abuse In the Dec. 5 Women's Health column, we looked at the effects of alcohol and drugs and how they are used to facilitate sexual assault. Victims of this type of violence are often unaware of what occurred until days later, if ever. What they are unable to remember directly following the assault can manifest itself in dreams and abnormal behavior. It is difficult to tell how much a traumatic event has affected someone just by looking at him or her. One thing 9/11 taught us is that people can experience a wide range of emotions and behaviors directly following a traumatic event, from numbness to overwhelming grief and anger. The same is true for victims of sexual violence. Each person responds to trauma differently. Many people question whether the assault occurred at all because of the lack of emotion present in a victim. This kind of assumption is often detrimental to the victim. Often, many survivors of traumatic events experience symptoms for years of what we know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. The cluster of symptoms specific to survivors of sexual violence is known as Rape Trauma Syndrome. Rape Trauma Syndrome is a type of PTSD that can have devastating long-term effects on survivors, including their families and loved ones. During the immediate initial phase of Rape Trauma Syndrome, a range of emotions is very normal. Some people find themselves on a rollercoaster of emotions, from being calm one moment, to intense anger, fear, uncontrollable crying, and even laughter. Another common reaction is to numb oneself in order to carry on through the experience safely. In this phase, survivors are often bombarded with a number of different reactions in addition to emotional reactions, such as physical, social, and sexual dysfunction. Different kinds of physical reactions include sleep disturbances, nausea, pain and/or soreness in different areas of the body, and a decrease in appetite. While a survivor of sexual assault may appear to carry on routine activities, he or she may have difficulty with intrusive memories or images of the assault, commonly known as flashbacks. Flashbacks intrude into everyday activities and can take an emotional toll on survivors. For the weeks and months following a sexual assault, survivors enter into the reorganization phase of Rape Trauma Syndrome. This can include psychological symptoms, such as nightmares, phobias, and/or paranoia. Physical problems may continue as well as the occurrence of new ones. As the survivor readjusts to his or her social life, friends, family members, and partners may have different expectations of his or her loved one. It is not uncommon for family members to be confused as to why there is still difficulty. On the other hand, some constantly walk on eggshells, not knowing how to approach their loved one. Survivors may find this behavior frustrating and may have trouble addressing these issues. Many survivors find the need to make a significant change in one or many aspects of their lives. While these reactions and difficulties can occur with any person recovering from a trauma, not all victims of sexual violence will experiences these. There are mitigating factors, which can determine how long symptoms are present. These include: personality type, degree of violence, relationship to offender, type of support system(s), type of sexual assault, social and/or cultural influences, previous experiences with stress, and immediate personal contacts after the assault. Supporting a loved one Obtaining help of any kind, whether it be from a trusted friend or therapist, can make a world of difference. Survivors need support in all aspects of their lives. Begin by believing. Listening to someone’s experience and providing validation and support is crucial to one’s recovery from sexual trauma. Encourage them to reach out for help by a professional trained in sexual victimization. Getting Help For more information, contact Somerset County’s Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) at (908) 526-7444, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network at (800) 656-HOPE to be directed to your local rape crisis center.
Protecting yourself and friends from drug-related sexual assault During the holiday season, family gatherings, New Year’s Eve parties and time spent with neighbors and friends give us the opportunity to share the holiday spirit. Teens and young people enjoy gathering during this time of year and while most parties occur without incident, excessive drinking and partaking of drugs can lead to sexual assault. Many people underestimate the prevalence of sexual assault in our society. Each year approximately 250,000 women and men are sexually assaulted in the United States. Sexual Assault Support Services, Somerset County’s rape care program, receives over 1,000 calls from survivors and their loved ones each year. These statistics highlight how pervasive the problem is. Based on these statistics, please share this article with your teens so they do not unknowingly fall victim to violence. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes in the United States with only one-third of victims reporting, mostly due to the stigma surrounding victims of sexual assault and the myths many of us believe. One such myth is that sex offenders are strangers who brutally attack their victims. In fact, the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the survivor knows and trusts, and the closer the relationship between the victim and offender, the less physical force is used. The lack of outward physical signs of sexual assault can cause many victims to remain silent. Alcohol
and other drugs are used to help facilitate sexual assaults. This phenomenon of incapacitating a victim is not new.
Alcohol is the most common date-rape drug, and like all date-rape drugs,
is used to render victims powerless. Excessive
drinking can lead to extreme intoxication, making it easier for a perpetrator to
overpower a victim. No matter what
the situation, if a person has become incapacitated due to alcohol or other
drugs, they are unable to give consent. In recent years, a growing number of drugs have been used, either alone or in combination with alcohol or other drinks, to render victims powerless. Ecstasy, GHB, and “Special K” are the most common. At one time, “Roofies” were the most common date rape drug, but today research has shown that GHB use is on the rise. Many
of the date-rape drugs are colorless, odorless, and tasteless; therefore it is
easy to slip them into someone’s drink virtually undetected. When mixed with alcohol, the effects can be deadly.
In most cases, the victim becomes unconscious, at which point a sexual
assault occurs. Common signs or symptoms of having been drugged and possibly
assaulted are: a feeling of intense intoxication when minimal or no alcohol has
been consumed, nausea/vomiting and severe headache the next day, disheveled or
removed clothing, loss of memory and/or time, and pain in the genital and/or
anal area. What to do if you suspect a date-rape drug has been added to your drink or a friend's: Many of these drugs take effect within 15 minutes, therefore it is important to recognize the signs as soon as they occur and get help right away. Try to have a close friend stay with you at all times and get to a safe place. Obtain
medical attention immediately, and if possible keep the beverage you were
drinking and give it to the attending medical staff.
Many of these drugs metabolize quickly and cannot be detected in the
blood or urine for very long. It is important to remember that no matter what the situation is, the victim is never to blame for being raped. We can educate about reducing our risk, but an individual can never truly prevent a sexual assault from occurring. Self-blame and feelings of shame and guilt resulting from a traumatic experience such as this can lead to years of complications. Next month, we will be discussing rape trauma syndrome, and how this affects survivors and our community at large. ___________________________________ Tips for identifying the most common date-rape drugs and how they affect an individual: Name: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) Street
Name: GHB, GBL, G, "Grievous Bodily Harm," "Liquid E,"
"Scoop," "Easy Lay" Form:
Clear liquid or white powder Immediate Symptoms: Sweating, tremors, weakness, drunken-like state, nausea, drowsiness, confusion, memory loss, sedation, burning sensation in throat and around mouth (liquid)
Name:
Ketamine Street
Name:
“K”, "Special K," "Kat" Form:
Clear, odorless, tasteless liquid or white powder Immediate
Symptoms:
Euphoria, quick burst of energy, drunken feeling, shortness of breath,
loss of balance, loss of time, seizures, coma, vomiting when mixed with alcohol
Name:
Ecstasy (Methlenedioxymethamphetamine,
or MDMA) Street
Name:
“E”, “X”, "love drug" Form: Pill (often stamped with a picture or logo) Immediate
Symptoms:
Dilated pupils, sweating, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, blurred vision,
tremors, palpitations, euphoria, energy, heightened feelings and/or senses,
elevated body temperature
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