Sexual violence is a serious form of deviance that encompasses various non-consensual sexual acts. It includes rape, sexual coercion, harassment, stalking, and child sexual abuse. These acts have severe psychological, emotional, and physical impacts on survivors and communities.

Sexual violence is rooted in power dynamics, gender norms, and societal attitudes. Rape myths, victim-blaming, and toxic masculinity contribute to a culture that normalizes sexual violence. Prevention strategies and support services are crucial in addressing this pervasive issue.

Sexual Violence: Forms and Deviance

Defining Sexual Violence

• Sexual violence is a broad term encompassing any sexual act committed against someone without their freely given consent
• Includes completed or attempted sex acts, abusive sexual contact, and non-contact sexual abuse

Types of Sexual Violence

• Rape involves penetration of the victim's body, also known as sexual assault or criminal sexual penetration in some states
• Sexual coercion uses pressure, alcohol or drugs, or force to have sexual contact with someone against their will (persistent attempts after refusal)
• Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace or learning environment that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment
• Stalking is a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other conduct directed at a specific person that would cause reasonable fear (following, repeated unwanted contact, leaving unwanted gifts)
• Child sexual abuse is any sexual activity with a child where consent is not or cannot be given, including sexual contact by force or threat of force, regardless of age, and all sexual contact between an adult and child

Societal Attitudes on Sexual Violence

Rape Myths and Victim Blaming

• Rape myths are widely held but false beliefs about sexual violence that justify or minimize the violence ("she asked for it," "it wasn't really rape," "he didn't mean to," "she lied," "rape is trivial")
• Victim blaming holds the victim partially or fully responsible for the sexual violence committed against them, rooted in rape myths
• The just world hypothesis is the belief that people get what they deserve in life, assuming victims must have done something to warrant the violence

Cultural Norms and Attitudes

• Toxic masculinity refers to stereotypical male gender roles restricting emotions and encouraging domination and control, contributing to normalizing sexual violence
• Rape culture is a setting where sexual violence is pervasive and normalized due to attitudes about gender and sexuality, perpetuated through misogynistic language, objectification of women's bodies, and glamorization of sexual violence

Impact of Sexual Violence on Individuals and Communities

Psychological and Emotional Effects on Survivors

• Sexual violence can have severe, long-lasting psychological and emotional effects on survivors
• Common reactions include PTSD, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation
• Survivors often experience social isolation, strained relationships, difficulty trusting others, struggles with intimacy and sexual dysfunction

Physical and Medical Consequences

• Sexual violence can lead to medical issues like physical injury, concerns about pregnancy, and risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections
• Economic costs to society are steep, including medical services, mental health treatment, loss of productivity, and criminal justice expenses

Community and Societal Impact

• Ripple effects on families, friends, and partners of survivors who experience secondary trauma and challenges in supporting the survivor
• Breakdowns in community feelings of unity and safety, with certain settings struggling to appropriately address high risk for sexual violence

Power, Gender, and Sexual Violence

Sexual Violence as Power and Control

• Sexual violence is a crime of power and control more than passion or sexual desire
• Perpetrators often use sexual violence to assert dominance over victims

Gender and Sexual Violence

• While all genders experience sexual violence, women and girls are disproportionately affected (estimated 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men)
• Transgender and non-binary individuals are also at high risk of victimization

Intersectionality and Vulnerability

• Intersectionality examines how systems of power and oppression disproportionately marginalize certain communities, rendering some more vulnerable to sexual violence
• Women of color, particularly Native American women, face higher rates than white women, compounded by racist and sexist stereotypes
• People with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities have nearly 4 times the risk of sexual violence than non-disabled people due to vulnerabilities perpetrators may exploit
• The LGBTQ+ community experiences similar or higher rates compared to heterosexual and cisgender individuals, with discrimination like homophobia and transphobia complicating trauma and recovery

Prevention and Support for Survivors

Prevention Strategies

• Primary prevention aims to stop sexual violence before it occurs through education and changing social norms (bystander intervention training, healthy relationship education, media campaigns)
• Secondary prevention focuses on immediate responses after sexual violence to deal with short-term consequences and prevent re-victimization (crisis intervention, medical care, legal advocacy)
• Tertiary prevention addresses long-term responses after sexual violence to mitigate lasting consequences and provide rehabilitation (ongoing therapy, support groups, sex offender treatment)

Support Services for Survivors

• Crisis centers and hotlines provide free, confidential crisis intervention, referrals, and emotional support for survivors and loved ones, often 24/7
• Mental health services include individual therapy, group counseling, and psychiatry with evidence-based treatments for trauma like cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE)
• Medical services treat injuries, provide STI and pregnancy prophylaxis, and collect forensic evidence, with Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) trained in trauma-informed care
• Legal advocacy helps survivors navigate the criminal justice system, including reporting, protective orders, and court proceedings, often coordinating with medical and mental health for holistic care