How You Can Help to Educate and Prevent Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is any kind of sexual activity or act that takes place without the victim’s consent. It can be a single incident or an ongoing pattern of incidents. Sexual violence includes any kind of physical or emotional abuse or exploitation including assault, harassment, indecent exposure, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual manipulation. It can be committed against women, men, transgender individuals and children. It violates human rights, harms the individual, community and society and has a profound impact on survivors’ lives.

Sexual violence can occur in all communities and affects every aspect of a person’s life. It can affect the mental health and well-being of victims and their families, friends, colleagues, classmates, teachers and neighbors, and it can have long term effects that can last a lifetime.

Many people may not know that sexual violence is happening in their own neighborhood, town or city. It is important to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence and how it can affect everyone. The following are ways that you can help to educate and prevent sexual violence.

Educate yourself about the warning signs of sexual assault and what to look for in a loved one. It is very difficult for people who are being abused by a close partner to come forward. They are often shamed and embarassed, and they may blame themselves for the abuse or think it is their fault. If you have a friend or loved one who has been hurt, let them know that you believe them and it’s not their fault. Encourage them to seek help and offer to help them.

The vast majority of rapes and other forms of sexual violence are perpetrated by someone known to the victim or their family. Research shows that the vast majority of perpetrators have some sort of history of interpersonal violence or a psychiatric disorder, particularly antisocial personality disorders (Krug et al., 2002). Other factors that lead to a person’s vulnerability to becoming a victim or perpetrator of sexual violence include alcohol and drug use, beliefs and attitudes that support sexual violence, impulsiveness, preference for impersonal sex, hostility towards women, childhood history of abuse or witnessing family abuse, and a general sense of entitlement and power over others.

Survivors of sexual violence have a range of reactions and feelings, from numbness to anger, fear, disbelief, guilt and self-blame. They may experience physical symptoms related to the body where the assault occurred, including somatic complaints, difficulty concentrating and anxiety. They can also experience emotional responses such as sadness, depression and rage.

No one deserves to be raped and sexual violence is NEVER the victim’s fault. It does not matter that they were dressed up, drinking or using drugs, out at night, or on a date with the perpetrator – no one asks to be raped. It is the responsibility of the perpetrator to protect their victim and make sure they have the means and opportunity to say no.