If a sexual intercourse occurs by force or from threat of harm, it can be called rape. Sexual intercourse may be vaginal, anal, or oral, involving the use of any body part or an object. There are different forms of rape, which will be discussed later. Anyone can be a victim of rape, both men and women, however, it is more common women. The perpetrators usually prefer someone of their same race, with alcohol involved in one out of every three cases. Enrolling in First Aid and CPR courses can help prepare for future incidences such as these to learn proper handling of the situation.
One out of every 17 Canadian women is raped at one point in her life, commonly in ages between 15 and 24. Moreover, every 17 minutes, a woman is sexually assaulted by forced intercourse, most of which occur in the victim’s own home and are done by perpetrators who know the victim. Sixty-two percent are reported to have cause physical blows from the attack with nine percent brutally beaten or disfigured. With the high rape rates in Canada, it is appalling to hear that most cases are actually unreported and the rates could go much higher. (Source: Justice Institute of British Columbia)
What are the Different Types of Rape?
The following are different types of rape that can occur to a person:
- Anger rape: done out of hatred for the victim and rage
- Power rape: done to express authority and control over the victim
- Sadistic rape: perpetrator is obsessed with sex rituals, usually involving conflicting physical harm to victim
- Marital rape: rape by a spouse
- Incest rape: perpetrator is closely related to victim
- Acquaintance rape: rape by someone known to the victim
- Date rape (50% of all rape cases)
- Stranger rape: rape by someone that is not known to the victim
- Gang rape: multiple perpetrators forcing sexual acts upon one or more victims
- Diminished capacity rape: victim cannot consent to sexual act due to physical disabilities or intoxication
- Statutory rape: although there may be consent, victim is very young, usually younger than age of 12
What Symptoms are Usually Exhibited by Rape Victims?
Rape victims do not often come forward for fear of the community ostracizing them or judgment, thus they do not always seek help. Some victims may complain of other problems and seek medical help for these complaints such as, headaches, pain, and eating or sleep problems. Other symptoms of rape include:
- Fear and anxiety
- Anger and guilt
- Crying or depression
- Withdrawal from family or friends
- Loss of emotional control
- Confusion
- Tightly controlled behaviour
- Aggressive
How are Rape Victims Treated?
Most cases of rape victims will require psychosocial treatment. The sooner a victim gets medical and mental-health assessment and treatment, the better the outcome. If one is suspected of being a rape victim, the following steps are advised:
- Bring the victim to the emergency room to be evaluated. It is sometimes required for the rape to be officially reported. The staffs in the emergency room are usually trained of proper approach and procedure.
- If there are injuries, treat appropriately. Preventive measures are also done to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
- Calm and comfort the victim. Assure the victim that this was not his/ her fault in any way. Ongoing emotional support can be very helpful for rape victims.