Marital Rape Survivors
1. Marital rape survivors seem to suffer severe and long-term psychological consequences (Kilpatrick et al., 1988; Frieze, 1983). Research has also indicated that the psychological effects are likely to be long lasting. Explain.
Some marital rape survivors report flash-backs, sexual dysfunction, and emotional pain for years after the violence and that they are raped by someone whom they once presumably loved and trusted, are more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety than those who are victims of physical violence and those who were sexually assaulted by someone other than one's partner. Long-term effects often include disordered eating, sleep problems, depression, sexual distress, problems establishing trusting relationships, …show more content…
Sensitively asking questions specifically about marital rape is critical because women are unlikely to volunteer this information on their own. Training specifically on marital rape is critical for staff members and volunteers; such programs should comprehensively address characteristics of marital rape and how to identify survivors, the state's laws on marital rape, and counseling techniques. Rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters can provide a variety of other services for marital rape survivors including shelter and medical and legal advocacy. Ideally, a program would provide individual counseling as well as a group specifically for survivors of marital rape, offering survivors of marital rape the options of joining support groups for sexual assault survivors, battered women, or both, is beneficial, as individual women will define their needs differently. Claiming ownership of this problem and work collectively to address it by including marital rape in the mission statement, providing educational programs to the community, and distributing literature on rape in marriage. Providing outreach to certain groups such as those in rural areas and non-English speaking communities who may be unaware of available services is critical. It is particularly important that service providers have an understanding of cultural norms within their community
Some marital rape survivors report flash-backs, sexual dysfunction, and emotional pain for years after the violence and that they are raped by someone whom they once presumably loved and trusted, are more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety than those who are victims of physical violence and those who were sexually assaulted by someone other than one's partner. Long-term effects often include disordered eating, sleep problems, depression, sexual distress, problems establishing trusting relationships, …show more content…
Sensitively asking questions specifically about marital rape is critical because women are unlikely to volunteer this information on their own. Training specifically on marital rape is critical for staff members and volunteers; such programs should comprehensively address characteristics of marital rape and how to identify survivors, the state's laws on marital rape, and counseling techniques. Rape crisis centers and battered women's shelters can provide a variety of other services for marital rape survivors including shelter and medical and legal advocacy. Ideally, a program would provide individual counseling as well as a group specifically for survivors of marital rape, offering survivors of marital rape the options of joining support groups for sexual assault survivors, battered women, or both, is beneficial, as individual women will define their needs differently. Claiming ownership of this problem and work collectively to address it by including marital rape in the mission statement, providing educational programs to the community, and distributing literature on rape in marriage. Providing outreach to certain groups such as those in rural areas and non-English speaking communities who may be unaware of available services is critical. It is particularly important that service providers have an understanding of cultural norms within their community