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What the helper may see in the reactions of raped women
Where rape is perceived to be the woman’ s fault, it results in isolation, distress and suffering. The symptoms following rape are in general the same as the symptoms of severe trauma-disorders described above. For example, one initial response may be a shock reaction lasting for a few minutes or for days or weeks. Exaggerated shock-reactions, including panicked agitation and confusion or a paralyzed, mute, withdrawn state, can also occur. If the victim is injured, she will start to feel the pain of her injuries.
PART III: THEORY
Physical reactions( such as headaches, dizziness, palpitations, breathing difficulties, feeling cold, fainting, trembling, nausea, and sometimes vomiting) are quite frequent in the acute phase. Women frequently feel dirty, a response that may lead to compulsive washing. Fear of pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and injuries to genital parts, also appear early on.
The survivor may show behavioural reactions. She may become emotionally unstable, have difficulties in concentrating, experience restlessness and agitation, be unable to relax, lose motivation, become withdrawn, avoid reminders, be easily startled or frightened, or very alert and watchful, be easily upset by small things, fear sex or lose sexual pleasure, change her lifestyle, increase substance abuse, wash or bathe frequently, or try to act as if nothing has happened( denial).
Recurring exposure to trauma
Women and children may live in a constant state of alarm. After exposure to recurring trauma over time, as a result of living in war or in constant danger, for example, a woman may struggle to control her reactions and use all her energy to do that. When the danger is over, her reactions usually intensify. She may also react by entering a chronic state of stress.
Sometimes post – traumatic reactions may appear gradually. Women may experience intense intrusive re-experiences while making efforts to avoid reminders of what happened. However, they will sleep badly, be on guard and startle easily. Because reliving a traumatic incident provokes strong emotional pain and fear, people tend to take conscious and unconscious steps to avoid situations that remind them of it. Survivors adopt different strategies to do this. In some cases, they isolate themselves; women will stop going out and sever all contact with their friends and networks. Survivors may also try to protect themselves by understating the violence they have been subjected to. Women will say:“ it wasn’ t so bad, and I want to forget it, put it behind me …”. These avoidance responses bring different consequences. An isolated life will strengthen a woman’ s fear of reliving her traumatic experiences. Women who trivialise the violence they have suffered, or deny it happened, may find that they can manage for a while but in the long run may develop serious symptoms, because they spend so much energy on not reacting( Berntsen 2005).
An improvement is often registered after three months( Dahl 1993). However, almost all rape victims suffer severe and long-lasting emotional trauma. The sexual aspects of the crime are not the most significant factors causing psychological trauma. These appear to be caused by a combination of five distinct features of the assault experience( Fanflik 2007).
• It is sudden and arbitrary.
• It is perceived as life threatening.
• It is perceived as de-humanising.
• The victim is forced into a position of subordination.
• The victim cannot prevent the assault or control the assailant; her normal coping strategies fail. As a result, she becomes a victim of someone else’ s rage and aggression.
• Her sexual integrity is violated.