Abnormal Psychology1

The Trauma Of Rape

Lect 18

 The experience of rape inflicts severe trauma on a victim. Rape is a criminal act of violence in which sexual relations, typically intercourse, are forced on one person by another. In most cases, the victim is a woman. Our concern here is with a victim's response to rape, which can vary depending on a number of factors.
Abnormal Psychology 1 2

 In a "stranger" rape; one in which the victim does not know the offender-the victim is likely to experience strong fear of physical harm and death. In an "acquaintance" rape the reaction is slightly different (Ellison, 1977). In such a situation the victim not only may feel fear, but also may feel that she has been betrayed by someone she had trusted. She may feel more responsible for what happened and experience greater guilt.
Abnormal Psychology 1 3

 She may also be more hesitant to seek help or report the rape to the police out of fear that she will be held partially responsible for it. The age and life circumstances of a victim may also influence her reaction. For a young child who knows nothing about sexual behavior, rape can lead to sexual scars and confusion, particularly if the child is encouraged to forget about the experience without thoroughly talking it over first .
Abnormal Psychology 1 4

 For young adult women, rape can increase the conflicts over independence and separation that are normal in this age group. In an effort to be helpful, parents of these victims may encourage various forms of regression, such as moving back to the family home, which may prevent mastery of this developmental phase. Married rape victims with children face the task of explaining their experience to their children.
Abnormal Psychology 1 5

 Sometimes the sense of vulnerability that results from rape leaves a woman feeling temporarily unable to care for her children. Husbands and boyfriends can also influence rape victims' reactions by their attitudes and behavior. Rejection, blaming, uncontrolled anger at the offender, or insistence on a quick resumption of sexual activity can increase victims' negative feelings.
Abnormal Psychology 1 6

 In a recent formulation of the stress women experience following rape, McCann (1988) found empirical evidence of problems in five areas of functioning: (a) physical disturbances, including hyperarousal (b) emotional problems, such as anxiousness, depressed mood, and low self-esteem; (c) cognitive dysfunctioning, including disturbed concentration and the experience of intrusive thoughts;
Abnormal Psychology 1 7

(d) atypical behavioral acts, such as aggressive, antisocial actions and substance abuse (e) interference in social relationships, including sexual problems, intimacy problems, and further victimization.

Abnormal Psychology 1

Coping Behavior of Rape Victims

The research on rape victims soon after their rapes has provided clear insights into the emotional turmoil and psychological processes they go through in coping with their experiences . The following sections summarize these findings and integrate the feelings and problems women experience at different points of their traumas.
Abnormal Psychology 1 9

Anticipatory phase.. This period occurs before an actual rape when an offender "sets up" a victim and the victim begins to perceive that a dangerous situation exists. In the early minutes of this phase, the victim often uses defense mechanisms such as denial to preserve an illusion of invulnerability. Common thoughts are "Rape could never happen to me" or "He doesn't really mean that."
Abnormal Psychology 1 10

Impact phase. This phase begins with a victim's recognition that she is actually going to be raped and ends when the rape is over. The victim's first reaction is usually intense fear for her life, a fear much stronger than her fear of the sexual act itself. Symonds (1976) has described the paralytic effect of intense fear on victims of crime, showing that this fear usually leads to varying degrees of disintegration in the victim's functioning and possibly to complete inability to act.
Abnormal Psychology 1 11

 Roth and Lebowitz (1988) found that the sexual trauma "confronts the individual" with emotions and images that are difficult to manage and may have long-term adjustment consequences. When the victim later recalls her behavior during the assault, she may feel guilty about not reacting more efficiently, and she needs to be reassured that her actions were normal.
Abnormal Psychology 1 12

 Major physiological reactions such as vomiting sometimes occur during this phase, but victims who try to simulate such reactions in order to escape generally discover that they cannot produce them voluntarily.

Abnormal Psychology 1

13

 Posttraumatic recoil phase. This phase begins immediately after a rape. Burgess and Holmstrom (1974, 1976) observed two emotional styles among the rape victims they interviewed in hospital emergency rooms. Some victims exhibited an expressed style where feelings of fear and anxiety were shown through crying, sobbing, and restlessness. Others demonstrated a controlled style in which feelings appeared to be masked by a calm, controlled, subdued facade.
Abnormal Psychology 1 14

 Regardless of style, most victims felt guilty about the way they had reacted to the offender and wished that they had reacted faster or fought harder. Excessive self-blame has been associated with poor long-term adjustment. Feelings of dependency were increased, & victims often had to be encouraged & helped to call friends or parents and make other arrangements.
Abnormal Psychology 1 15

 Physical problems, such as general tension, nausea, sleeplessness, and trauma directly related to the rape, were common.

Abnormal Psychology 1

16

Reconstitution phase This phase begins as a victim starts to make plans for leaving the emergency room or crisis center. It ends, often many months later, when the stress of the rape has been assimilated, the experience shared with significant others, and the victim's self-concept restored. Certain behaviors and symptoms are typical during this phase.
Abnormal Psychology 1 17

1- Motor activity, such as changing one's telephone number and moving to a new residence, is common. The victim's fear is often well justified at this point because, even in the unlikely event that the offender has been arrested and charged with rape, he is often out on bail.

Abnormal Psychology 1

18

2- Frightening nightmares in which the rape is relived are common. As the victim moves closer toward assimilating the experience, the content of the dreams gradually shifts until the victim successfully fights off the assailant. 3- Phobias-including fear of the indoors or outdoors (depending on where the rape took place), fear of being alone, fear of crowds, fear of being followed, and sexual fears-have been observed to develop immediately following rape.
Abnormal Psychology 1 19

Counseling Rape Victims

The women's movement has played a crucial role in establishing specialized rape counseling services, such as rape crisis centers and hotlines. Rape crisis centers provide both psychological counseling and advocacy services with the intent of helping rape victims cope with their crisis and its aftermath. Such intervention can have a significant impact on psychological recovery from rape.
Abnormal Psychology 1 20

 Crisis centers also have victim advocacy services in which a trained volunteer accompanies a victim to a hospital or police station, helps her understand the procedures. In a study of the counseling needs of rape victims, Mezey and Taylor (1988) reported that rape victims needed to better understand the trauma situation and desired information about how they could cope with their dramatically altered lives.
Abnormal Psychology 1 21

 They also found that rape victims wanted to talk with other women who had gone through similar experiences. Long-term Effects Whether a rape victim experience a psychological decompensation depends to a large extent on her past coping skills and level of psychological functioning. A previously well-adjusted woman usually will regain her prior equilibrium, but rape can precipitate severe pathology in a woman with psychological difficulties
Abnormal Psychology 1 22

Abnormal Psychology 1

23