(Newswire.net — April 27, 2023) —
Domestic violence and sexual assault
Domestic and sexual violence
Nowadays, there is a wide spread of information about sexual violence, this is an opportunity to increase your awareness of this important issue. Sexual violence refers to crimes such as rape, beating, and physical violence. What about victims of sexual violence whose perpetrators are unknown or unidentified, or victims of intimate partner sexual violence? You can contact a domestic violence lawyer in California to get legal help and prevent sexual or any other violence against you. The intersection of domestic and sexual violence is quite common. When you’re done reading, you’ll have a better understanding of this intersection, including seven statistics about domestic violence and sexual harassment. Learn more about marital rape. Also, learn about possible and effective ways to deal with domestic and sexual violence.
How can I help someone who has experienced domestic sexual abuse?
Do not judge the victim’s situation – your judgments and interpretation of events will not help the victim. Advice on what a person could do, and what could not be done differently, all this advice can only harm, they are superfluous. Try to provide a safe space, and be understanding, caring and supportive. Not everyone acts or reacts the way you do, don’t try to judge the victim’s behavior. If a person does not want to talk about their experience of violence, do not force them, and do not ask for any details. Make sure that the person is safe at the moment and that this person is not in danger – you can offer to move to a safe place. You can direct the person to seek the help of qualified attorneys so that the person can resolve the matter quickly.
How are domestic violence and sexual violence related?
Those who physically abuse intimate partners often also engage in sexual harassment. Victims of physical and sexual abuse are more likely to be injured or die than those who have experienced any other form of abuse. Criminals target people of all genders, races, ages, social classes, and ethnicities. Sexual assault is any behavior that results in unwanted sexual contact. The perpetrator of this type of violence aims to humiliate and deprive the other person of honor. Sexual violence can take different forms: physical, verbal, and non-verbal. An example of sexual violence is, for example:
- Rape that forces unwanted sex;
- Being forced into and observing sexual activity;
- The use of derogatory sexual terms in the language;
- Violation of a person’s moral principles by touching intimate organs, hitting the buttocks, grabbing the breasts;
- Being forced to interact with sexual or pornographic content (known as photos, videos, or text messages of a sexual nature) directly or online;
- Demanding publication of intimate photos;
- Posting intimate recordings or photos of a former partner on the Internet (the so-called revenge porn);
- Abuse of dependent relationships leading to sexual intercourse.
Sexual violence can have physical, psychological, and emotional consequences. You may feel shocked, disbelieving, and embarrassed, but you may also feel shame and guilt (although only the perpetrator is responsible for sexual domestic violence). Disorientation, fear, and anxiety can accompany us for a long time, and we can reflect on what we experienced. In these cases, psychological and legal support may be needed most often. If you have been injured during an act of sexual violence and want to protect your rights, you need proof in the form of a medical certificate.
Most victims of sexual violence are women. People of any age can experience sexual violence. The perpetrators of sexual violence can be both strangers and people familiar to the victim: husband, partner, family member, or work colleague. Acts of sexual violence, such as threats, harassment, rape, and physical beating, are strictly punishable by law. Rape is a particularly brutal crime because it affects the most intimate areas of life. According to the current legislation, rape is a criminal act directed against another person to engage in sexual intercourse, submitting to other sexual acts, or committing them by coercion, illegal threats, or deception.
Another sexual activity is a behavior related to a person’s sex life that consists of physical contact between the offender and the victim or the physical and sexual involvement of the victim. Rape is punishable by imprisonment. It is important to be clear that no one, not even your husband, has the right to force you to have sex against your will. No matter how you behave, no matter where you are, you are not guilty of any form of sexual violence against you. Only the criminal is responsible and he must answer for his actions following the current criminal legislation. If you have been sexually assaulted, you have rights. Remember that violence is a crime that must be punished according to the law. You have the right to demand punishment of the offender. If the criminal is not prosecuted, he will feel impunity and may harm you or another person again.
Seven Important Facts about Domestic and sexual violence
Sexual and physical violence are used to intimidate, control and humiliate victims. Sexual violence against an intimate partner is more likely to cause physical harm than assaults against a stranger. Between 14% and 25% of women have experienced sexual violence from an intimate partner during a relationship with him. Between 40% and 45% of women in a relationship experience violence during sex with their partner. More than half of the women who were raped by their husbands were repeatedly sexually assaulted by the same man. Women who were sexually abused by intimate partners reported more risk factors for multiple physical injuries than women who were not sexually abused. Like other rape victims, women who experience sexual domestic violence at the hands of their partners suffer from serious and long-term physical and mental health problems. They are more likely to suffer from depression and regular panic attacks, so it is important to report all these things promptly to sex crime lawyers who will help you in solving these negative phenomena in your life. Marital rape is rape that was committed by the partner of the victim with whom an official relationship was concluded. Although many Americans do not believe that this type of rape is rape. Between 10% and 14% of married women experience rape during their married life. This type of rape is the least reported case of sexual violence. Only 36% of victims of this type of rape reported the crime to the police.
Why should we talk about violence?
For a specific situation or phenomenon to be considered violence, four conditions must be met:
An imbalance manifests itself in the relationship between partners. Because of the functions performed or social position, a person has an obvious advantage in power over another person. It can be an advantage: mental, physical, economic, legal, social, etc.
Deliberate action or omission means that a certain person takes certain actions that he believes are beneficial to another person, but does not take into account his resistance, needs, or different points of view.
Violation of rights and personal space – every person has many rights, for example, the right to freedom (of opinion, religion), decisions about oneself and one’s life, work, etc. If one person begins to “manage” another person, regardless of their rights, feelings, or needs, this is also considered violence.
Pain – when the actions of one person cause harm to another person. This may or may not be immediately apparent.
Violence is one of the most serious violations in social life. Four types of violence can be distinguished:
- Physical violence;
- Emotional abuse;
- Sexual violence;
- Moral violence.
Sexual violence can take many forms, the common feature being the refusal to consent or participate in a particular form of sexual contact. Any sexual act that is not approved by another person is sexual harassment, molestation, or rape. Sexual intercourse without the victim’s consent is considered rape. However, this also applies to other sexual acts (touching, showing private parts, sexual intercourse, forced oral sex, etc.) that are carried out without the consent of the other person. What is consent? Consent to sexual intercourse must be conscious – the person giving consent to intercourse must not be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or psychoactive substances and must be conscious.
Sexual approval should be full of enthusiasm – such statements as “I understand”, and “probably” cannot be taken as confirmation. Silence does not mean consent. Even if a person does not directly say “NO”, withdraws, does not respond to touch, or avoids eye contact, this may mean that they are not ready for sexual activity. Enthusiasm shouldn’t just be a word, it should also be an attitude. Sexual consent is voluntary – a person cannot be forced by blackmail or pressure from another person. Even if a person submits and consents to certain sexual activity under duress or coercion, such activity is considered sexual assault because of the lack of voluntary consent. A person can withdraw their consent to sex at any time – even if a person initially consented to a particular sexual activity, they can say NO at any time. Being in a partnership/relationship with another person does not deprive a person of this right! A person has the right not to allow further sexual contact, even if it was previously allowed. Consent may refer to certain sexual activities, but it does not mean consent to all activities. If you meet the above conditions when you choose to have sex with another person, you can reduce the risk of sexual violence without hurting someone. Communication is an extremely important aspect of any relationship, let’s not forget that it should not be abandoned during a relationship.
Six key points for effectively combating domestic and sexual violence
Would you like to do something about preventing domestic and sexual violence? Here are six ideas to get you started.
Local general practitioners, obstetricians, and gynecologists screen women for signs of physical and sexual abuse and regularly conduct checks to determine whether there is evidence of abusive relationships.
State legislatures want the rape statute updated to include domestic rape, not a separate crime.
Work with local youth groups to teach healthy sexuality and healthy relationships.
Ask your local colleges to address sexual violence in their programs.
Ask lawmakers to fund direct research and programs created under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Volunteer at your local rape center or state sexual assault coalition.