The impact of rape on the victims Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The impact of rape on the victims - Essay Example Rape can also be regarded as sexual assault and it can happen to both men and women of different ages. Rapists usually apply force to subdue their victims and it can be seen that rape is all about power where the sexual offender seeks to derive sexual pleasure from another person without his or her consent. To this effect, rape is a criminal offence which negatively impacts on the lives of the victims. Effective measures need to be put in place in order to deal with this cancerous disease in different societies. Research has shown that most sexual offences such as rape are mainly committed by members of the lowest socio-economic classes with a relatively low standard of education. For instance, Robinson (23) suggests that cases of rape are more common especially in poor communities and they often go unreported. This practice is mainly influenced by lack of proper education among the members of the poor communities. The victims are often threatened with death if they report the case t o the law enforcement agents. As a result of this situation, it can be noted that the victims often suffer in silence for fear of their lives if they report the case. It can also be seen that rape is usually committed by the relatives of the victims. ... Robinson (24) also posits to the effect that rape is often committed for ritual purposes. Many people who are infected with HIV/Aids especially in African countries believe that this deadly disease can be treated if they sleep with minors. However, the unfortunate truth is that AIDS is incurable so instead of solving their own problems, they will be creating similar problems on other people. Rape is also committed by people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and these people use force in order to have sex with the unwilling victims. In some cases, the victims are also drugged so that they become powerless such that they cannot defend themselves. Men can also be raped by women though this problem is mainly rampant among females. However, some men are often ashamed of reporting such cases for fear of being ridiculed in their respective societies and this is the reason why some of these cases go unreported. Men usually feel inferior if they are raped by women especially tho se who come from patriarchal societies. There are several negative consequences of rape cases among different people who are victims. People who are forced into sex are often traumatized by the horrific experience they go through. For instance, minors often experience psychological problems that will affect their growth and development if they are raped and threatened with death. At the end of the day, these young people often suffer in silence but this affects their normal growth and development. In most cases, children who are victims of rape often behave in a queer manner such that they may perform dismally in their studies at school. If these children are not properly counseled, they may not develop in a normal way. This can in turn impact negatively