SEXUAL ABUSE: SPEAKING OUT AND STANDING UP

ABSTRACT:

These days, there are alarmingly high rates of sexual abuse, and tragically, those rates may
even be greater because many victims are reluctant to come forward and report their assaults.
There is still more to be done to prevent sexual assault, increase awareness, and support
survivors in speaking out, especially in the #MeToo era. Every sexual assault survivor's
experience is unique, and each one's response to it is very personal. Unfortunately, there are
far too many motivations for survivors to conceal their sexual assault. Silencing such a
horrific incident carries with it the risk of bodily problems as well as a lifetime of mental
turmoil. When it comes to speaking out against their offenders, sexual assault survivors
frequently face several difficulties and worries. This paper is to find out why victims of
sexual assault are reluctant to come forward and how speaking up may help them move on
and recover.

INTRODUCTION:

Regrettably, sexual abuse these days has become so common. According to a report by the
Public Health Foundation of India, the incidence of rape-related crimes in India increased by
70.7% over the past 20 years, from 11.6 per 100,000 women and girls in 2001 to 19.8 in
2018. 67,000 incidents were recorded after the #MeToo movement took off in October 2017.
By November 2017, there were 72000 occurrences. The #MeToo movement has played a
significant role in people coming forward with their stories of sexual assault. Due to present
laws, procedures and policies, women are discouraged from speaking about sexual
harassment. Verbal abuse weakens women and gives them the impression that they are at
fault. Often, women are silent about sexual abuse because they believe that doing so would
help them safeguard themselves.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Speak is a young adult novel that chronicles the life of social outcast Melinda Sordino. It was
a 1999 National Book Award finalist and has won various prizes and accolades. Melinda has
a bad reputation at Merryweather High as a result of calling the police at a party at the end of
the summer. She is despised by everyone, including her former best friends. Melinda regains
her self-worth and her capacity to speak up for herself after she is finally ready to disclose to
herself and others that she contacted the police that evening because she had been raped by a
prominent upperclassman.

The unfortunate reality is that sexual assault may happen to anybody, regardless of age,
colour, or location. It is challenging for anybody to come out and admit they have been the
victim of sexual assault because almost everyone has heard of it yet many others dismiss it as
a non-issue. The major problem in Laurie Halse Anderson's book "Speak" is this. Melinda
Sordino, the main character, discovers that she is unable to bring up the subject of being
raped at the end of the summer and does not confess to anybody the reason she contacted the
police.

It might be simpler to ignore truth than to face it. Repression is a typical coping strategy used
to deal with one's feelings and thoughts after experiencing trauma. However, as a quote from
an unidentified individual once put it, "When something horrible happens, you have three
alternatives. You may let it define you, let it ruin you, or let it make you stronger. Melinda
Sordino learns this lesson personally in the book Speak. Melinda appears throughout the
narrative to be calm on the outside, but she is anything from silent within. Melinda eventually
learns to accept herself and open out to others as the story goes on. Melinda's character is
developed throughout the book by Anderson, who demonstrates to the reader how people's
bad experiences don't have to define them.

The narrative centres on Melinda's path to recovery and her struggle to overcome her fear
of speaking. Three events in Melinda's life during the course of the novel helped her become
well. One of these things is art class, as well as the instructor who oversees it. David Petrakis,
Melinda's lab partner, is another. And finally, Melinda finds an abandoned janitor's closet and
makes excellent use of it. Melinda needs all of these things to succeed as she battles through
her first year of freshman year.

Our understanding that Melinda would ultimately speak her story aloud doesn't dawn on us
until the very last word of the book. The story's main point of contact is conspicuously absent
from the text, which highlights the subject.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Does trauma play a part in why victims don't come out? is one of the most often asked topics.
The answer, according to A. Hardy, author of "Does trauma memory have a part in the
experience of reporting sexual assault during police interviews?" is yes. "Does trauma
memory play a role in the experience of reporting sexual assault during police interviews?,"
author A. Hardy, explains that "Importantly, people who viewed themselves as providing
more incoherent accounts predicted that they would be less likely to proceed with their legal
cases. Memory fragmentation was associated with participants indicating that they provided
more incoherent accounts of trauma during police interviews. Trauma can result in "memory
fragmentation," which might make it more difficult to move forward with inquiries since the
police won't have the necessary information.

Why did it take so long for so many well-known celebrities who had been sexually assaulted
to come forward? Lili Reinhart, a well-known actress, used the #MeToo hashtag on social
media to convey her experience. Another actress claims that she kept quiet since doing so
would have meant "reliving one of the darkest moments of her life." The perpetrators use
deception and falsehoods to "control" the victims. They make an effort to assist the sufferer
in coping while maintaining their innocence. Therefore, criminals like Harvey Weinstein
employed coping strategies to keep his victims quiet. In order to quiet his victims, he also
employed non-disclosure agreements.

ANALYSIS:

How much of an impact has the #MeToo movement made? The answer is a good deal. When
the movement was first released, it immediately took off. Sexually abused women all across
the world are happier with themselves. In essence, women have been taught that experiencing
sexual assault is a normal aspect of being a woman. The #MeToo movement is a women's
movement that promotes listening to all voices, not just the well-known ones. In fact, over
two-thirds (65%) of American people who use social media indicated they frequently read
postings about the subject. The issue is mostly the emphasis of what they see on social
networking sites, according to 29% of that demographic.

According to Kathy Spillar, executive director of Feminist Majority, a group that advocates
for women and does policy research, "the hashtag has had an exceptional impact because it
illustrates the ability of women and survivors of sexual harassment and abuse." Author
Dalvin Brown of U.S. Today adds, "It has provided a venue to a problem that was only
discussed informally at work. People are now able to express themselves thanks to it.
According to the study Gender Inequalities in the Workplace: The Effects of Organizational
Structures, Processes, Practices, and Decision Makers' Sexism, women are often the ones that
suffer sexual assault since they are the less powerful gender in society. In fields including
employment, politics, CEO positions, and heteronormative relationships, men predominately
hold leadership positions. In most cases, women can only report abuse to males, which is
problematic because it is usually men who do the violence. When reporting sexual violence
to males, women often find that they are not taken seriously. Additionally, they believe that
they are dismissed and not taken seriously. Women who wish to report being physically
assaulted to the police but hesitate to do so because they are embarrassed or humiliated to tell
a man about it.

Sexual abusers may occasionally also experience victimisation. Many academics have
attempted to comprehend what can raise a person's likelihood of sexually abusing a
youngster. Possible explanations include the fact that child sex offenders claim to have
experienced sexual abuse as children. This latter aspect has contributed to the idea that there
is a victim-to-perpetrator cycle, or that those who have experienced sexual abuse as children
would go on to conduct sexual assault as adults. However, studies on this phenomena have
focused nearly entirely on male offenders. However, being sexually assaulted as a kid does
not appear to be a cause to sexually offend later in life. Sexual assault perpetrators however
have greater rates of childhood sexual abuse than adult men in the general community.
According to the elements that raise the likelihood that male child sexual abuse victims will
later conduct sexual assault, those who do so likely had more issues as children and were not
aware of the consequences of their abuse. The guys involved in these situations, who were
mistreated as youngsters and are still abusing people, are unaware that they are in trouble.

SUGGESTIONS:

Sexually abused women can take a few steps to encourage other victims to speak forward.
First, refrain from criticising the victim's choices. Be an engaged and encouraging listener.
Sometimes talking to someone about what's on their mind is all it takes for a victim to feel
more at ease. Give the victim control over what occurs, such as allowing them to report when
they are prepared (UVA Today). Many women find it difficult to speak up because they fear
that if others find out that they are victims, they will be treated differently. As a supporter,
you may reassure them and assist them in realising that it is irrelevant what other people
think.

There are several things that society members may do on a daily basis to lessen the sexual
assault of women. Society may, among other things, better inform itself of the effects of rape.
People have a better understanding of how severe sexual assault is by educating themselves.
Another action society may take is to show victims of rape less sympathy and support. The
more empathy someone feels for something, the more they desire to do whatever it takes to
assist them. Finally, when it comes to eliminating sexual harassment of women, gender
inequalities are a significant issue. The vast majority of the offenders are men. Males in
society often have supporting views, but females don't attempt to stop it either.

In order to stop the growth of the "rape-supporting mindset," women need to stand up for
themselves.

CONCLUSION:

Ultimately, the existing laws, procedures, and attitudes toward sexual harassment and abuse,
which stifle victims' voices, are detrimental to the well-being of contemporary society. The
ability to speak up in a secure environment is essential for any woman who experiences
sexual assault. Sexual assault and harassment require more societal awareness and activism.

Sexual assault-related emotional and psychological problems may get worse if you keep quiet
about it. As a result of the assault, survivors of sexual assault may struggle with the following
issues on an emotional and physical level. The fact that there is still a lot of victim-blaming in
today's culture might make it much more difficult for sexual assault survivors to summon the
fortitude to come forward. After a sexual attack, it is possible to experience emotions and
experiences that have never been felt before. The long-term physical, psychological, and
emotional repercussions are common. However, receiving the necessary support might make
it easier to be more comfortable and secure in speaking up. Even though speaking up against
the offender is never simple, it may be a positive first step in the healing process when ready
to do so.

There is power in speaking up and making perpetrators answerable for their heinous and
criminal conduct.