![]() ![]() She began to isolate more and more.Īt the request of her parents, Ella went to see a psychiatrist. Her temper was extremely short which created problems with her friends. Ella also began drinking more on weekends and was smoking marijuana at night just to be able to fall asleep. What her parents weren’t aware of was that she slept very little throughout the night due to nightmares. She started having more arguments with her parents as they were constantly frustrated by her unwillingness to get up to go to school. However, after the rape, she started having problems in school and became increasingly anxious. After dinner, she completed her homework and went to bed.Įlla attempted to put the assault out of her mind, never telling anyone. When asked if there was something wrong, she said that practice had been difficult. Knowing that her absence would be noticed, she sat at the dinner table pretending as if nothing happened. After that, her mother asked her to come down to dinner. She came home that day, went up to her room, and took a shower. He drove her right to her home without having to ask directions.Įlla never told anyone about the assault. When he was finished, he told her to get dressed and get in the front seat. When they reached the van, he proceeded to rape her. He said that he would be able to give her a ride home afterwards. He approached her asking her to help him lift something in to his van. The man who assaulted her was someone that she knew from school. Their story may be theirs…but the journey belongs to everyone.Įlla was raped at 17 when she was walking home from volleyball practice. So many survivors believe that they are alone on a journey. However, the lasting effects of rape can be mitigated by uncovering the power that may feel like it was cleverly concealed. It can be hidden under scars that feel like they will last a lifetime. The immense power within a woman cannot be destroyed. Not only is this notion erroneous, but it is what keeps many woman silent. It has been said that when a woman is raped, her power is taken away. Appendixes contain additional information on symptomatic responses to acquaintance rape in the context of assessment.Some say rape is about power. Cognitive processes involved in attitudes and coping behavior of acquaintance rape victims are examined. ![]() Clinicians also need to be sensitive when inquiring about sexual assault and rape history. Given the conspiracy of silence involved in "hidden" rape, clinicians need to assess for the possibility of assault when female clients present for treatment with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and symptoms characteristic of PTSD. Such distress causes symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the level of distress is compounded by the inability of unacknowledged acquaintance rape victims to recognize the source of what appears to them to be global distress. Women who fail to acknowledge an assault as rape experience considerable emotional distress despite their failure to acknowledge the abuse and to seek treatment. Clinicians need to recognize that the pattern, duration, and intensity of a victim's response to acquaintance rape can be moderated by such factors as crime characteristics, coping styles, concurrent life stresses, premorbid histories, pre-existing personality variables, age at the time of assault, and response of social support networks. Although core symptoms of acquaintance rape victims are similar to those of stranger rape victims, both acknowledged and unacknowledged acquaintance rape victims are at greater risk for long-term behavioral, emotional, and cognitive symptoms and impairment due to the unique social-psychological context of sexual victimization by an acquaintance. ![]()
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