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Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that you do not want or agree to. It ranges from inappropriate touching to penetration or intercourse. It also can be verbal, visual, audio, or any other form which forces a person to participate in unwanted sexual contact or attention. Sexual assault includes rape and attempted rape, child molestation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, incest, and sexual harassment. It can happen in different situations, such as: date rape, domestic or intimate partner violence; or by a stranger. All forms of sexual assault are crimes. Sexual assault is an act of power and control and is not related to sexual urge. The offender, who often is an intimate partner, acquaintance, or family member, can plan the assault ahead of time. Nearly 6 out or 10 rape or sexual assault incidents are reported by victims to have occurred in their own home or at the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor (U.S. Department of Justice). No matter who attacks you, sexual assault is a crime. Sometimes, the offender is able to take advantage of the victim because the victim is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Rohypnol and GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutyrate) are commonly referred to as the "date rape" drugs since they have been given to victims without their knowledge, they make the victim unable to resist assault, and also cause an amnesia-like affect so the victim is uncertain about what happened. Even if you were drinking alcohol or taking drugs at the time of the attack, sexual assault is a crime.
Unfortunately, rape or sexual assault is the violent crime least often reported to law enforcement. Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to the police. In a survey of victims who did not report rape or attempted rape to the police, victims gave the following reasons for not making a report: 43% thought nothing could be done; 27% thought it was a private matter; 12% were afraid of police response; and 12% thought it was not important enough. Remember, sexual assault is against the law. You have the right to report this crime to the police, and to be treated fairly.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, an estimated 91% of the victims of rape and sexual assault are female and 9% are male. (Nearly 99% of the reported offenders are male.) The National Victim Center reports that 683,000 women are raped per year, and 13.3% of college women say they had been forced to have sex in a dating situation. The National Violence Against Women Survey found of the women who reported being raped, 54% were under the age of 18 at the time of the first rape and 83% were under the age of 25. However, sexual assault affects women, children, and men of all ages, racial, cultural and economic backgrounds.
In general, be alert to your surroundings. Walk with confidence and trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave. When out with friends at social events, never leave with someone you've just met. Don't take drugs or alcohol, which might cloud your judgement. (Be wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after business hours, and apartment laundry rooms. Avoid walking alone, especially at night. Never hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker. If possible, stay in areas where there are other people, and park your car in well-lighted areas. Always lock your car and have your key ready to use before you reach the car. If you think you are being followed, run towards a lighted house, restaurants, stores or other public places. If possible, always carry a cellular phone. If your car breaks down, turn on your flashers, lock the doors, stay in your car, and call for help on the cellular phone. If you don't have a phone, put on the flashers, lift your hood, use flares if possible, get back in the car, and lock the doors. If someone stops to help you, roll the window down enough so he or she can hear you, and ask them to call the police or a tow service. At home, never open your door to strangers. Always check the identification of salespersons or service people before opening the door. It also is a good idea to have another adult at home with you when service people come, if you can arrange it. Make sure all windows and doors are locked. Have a peephole in the door and well-lighted entrances. Know a neighbor you can call or rely on if something happens.
If you are in an abusive relationship, create a safety plan so you know what you would do in the event of an attempted attack. A safety plan includes: knowing possible escape routes to get away from the attacker (windows, stairwells, basement exits); knowing a safe place to go (a friend or family member you can trust); having a survival kit of money, keys, clothes, and important personal information like bank account numbers, phone numbers, and legal documents; knowing the number for a domestic violence hotline; avoiding arguments with the abuser in areas where there are potential weapons; having a personal savings account, separate from the abuser; and reviewing the plan monthly.
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) explains that there are no hard and fast, right or wrong answers to handle an attacker. It depends on your emotional state and physical state, the situation, and the attacker's personality. Surviving is the goal, but NCPC recommends the following:
If you are sexually assaulted, it is not your fault. Don't be afraid to ask for help or support. Help is available. You can call:
There are many organizations and hotlines in every state and territory. These crisis centers and agencies work hard to stop assaults and to help victims. The following link from the National Women's Health Information Center provides the contact information for these organizations: http://www.4woman.gov/violence/state.cfm You also can obtain the numbers of shelters, counseling services, and legal assistance in your phone book, or by calling information in your are
You can help someone who's been sexually assaulted by believing her or him. Show your support by listening and offering comfort. Go with her or him to the police, the hospital, or to counseling. Reinforce the message that she or he is not at fault, and that it is natural to feel angry and ashamed. Help find a support group that can help her or him sort through the emotional trauma caused by the assault.
These are drugs that are sometimes used to assist a sexual assault. Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity that a person does not agree to. It can include inappropriate touching, vaginal penetration, sexual intercourse, rape, and attempted rape. Because of the effects of these drugs, victims may be physically helpless, unable to refuse sex, and can't remember what happened. The drugs often have no color, smell, or taste and are easily added to flavored drinks without the victim's knowledge. There are at least three date rape drugs:
Although we use the term "date rape," most experts prefer the term "drug-facilitated sexual assault." These drugs have been used to help people commit other crimes, like robbery and physical assault, and have been used on both men and women.
The drugs can affect you quickly. The length of time that the effects last varies. It depends on how much of the drug is taken and if the drug is mixed with other substances, like alcohol. Alcohol can worsen the drug's effects and can cause more health problems. Also, one drug GHB can be made by people in their homes, so you don't know what's in it.
GHB can cause these problems:
Rohypnol can cause these problems:
Ketamine can cause these problems:
Some of these drugs are legal, but that doesn't mean they're not going to hurt you. Even if they're legal, you should not use them unless your health care provider prescribes them.
While GHB, rohypnol, and ketamine are considered "date rape drugs," there are other drugs that affect judgment and behavior, and can put a person at risk for unwanted or risky sexual activity. Alcohol is one of those drugs. When a person is drinking alcohol:
But remember: even if a victim of sexual assault drank alcohol, she is NOT at fault for being assaulted.
Female genital cutting (FGC) is the collective name given to traditional practices that involve the partial or total cutting away of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genitals, whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.1,2 Historically, it has been also called "female genital mutilation" or "female circumcision."
The age at which FGC is performed on women and girls varies. It may be performed during infancy, childhood, marriage or during a first pregnancy.2 FGC is typically performed on young girls who are between 4 and 12 years old, however, by a medically untrained person - often an older woman - from the local culture or community.1,2, 4 Increasingly FGC is also performed by trained health personnel, including physicians, nurses and midwives.4
FGC is practiced predominantly in 28 countries in Africa.1, 4 Eighteen African countries have prevalence rates of 50 percent or higher, but these estimates vary from country to country and within various ethnic groups.1, 4 FGC also occurs in some Middle Eastern countries - Egypt, the Republic of Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Israel - and is found in some Muslim groups in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and India.6 Some immigrants practice various forms of FGC in other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States and in European nations.1, 6
It is estimated that 130 million girls and women have undergone FGC.1,2,3 Approximately 2 million are subjected to this practice each year worldwide.2 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 168,000 women and girls in the United States had either undergone FGC or were at risk for FGC in 1990. Of these, 48,000 were girls younger than 18 years old.3
FGC has traditionally been called "female circumcision," which implies that it is similar to male circumcision.1,2,3 The recognition of FGC's harmful physical, psychological and human rights consequences, however, has led to the use of the term "female genital mutilation" or "FGM," which distinguishes this practice from the much milder practice of male circumcision. Many women who have undergone FGC do not consider themselves to be mutilated and have become offended by the term "FGM."3 Recently, other terms such as "female genital cutting" (FGC) have increasingly been used.1, 3
Practices involving the cutting of female genitals have been found throughout history in many cultures, but there is no definitive evidence documenting when or why this ritual began. Some theories suggest that FGC might have been practiced in ancient Egypt as a sign of distinction, while others hypothesize origins in ancient Greece, Rome, pre-Islamic Arabia and Tsarist Russia. Up until the mid-20th century, some physicians in the United States wrongly performed clitoridectomies for a variety of clinically unsound reasons.3
FGC is usually carried out by traditional practitioners or lay persons who use a variety of instruments, which range from a scalpel to a piece of glass, to conduct the procedure. Harsh, unsterile conditions under which FGC occurs are not conducive to accurate, hygienic cutting.1 With the increasing awareness of the health consequences of FGC, health providers have erroneously utilized more hygienic techniques to conduct FGC and "improve" the practice. However, this medicalization of FGC has been condemned by the World Health Organization and is considered to perpetuate and promote FGC rather than to prevent or reduce its practice.2
The potential physical complications resulting from the procedure are numerous. Because FGC is often carried out without anesthesia, an immediate effect of the procedure is pain. Short-term complications, such as severe bleeding, which can lead to shock or death, are greatly affected by the type of FGC performed, the degree of struggle by the woman or girl, unsanitary operating conditions, and inexperienced practitioners or inadequate medical services once a complication occurs. There is a very high risk of infection, with documented reports of ulcers, scar tissue and cysts. Female genital cutting may also interfere with a woman's pregnancy or labor. Other lasting effects that commonly result from FGC procedures include urine retention, resulting in repeated urinary infections and obstruction in menstrual flow, which may lead to frequent reproductive tract infections, infertility1,2,3 and chronic pelvic pain.3 FGC is also thought to facilitate the transmission of HIV through several mechanisms. Significant psychological and psychosexual consequences of FGC exist, but these factors have not been adequately studied.1,2,3
Female genital cutting is done for many complex, poorly understood reasons. In some cultures, the practice is based on love and the desire to protect because it is viewed as a culturally normal practice that has social significance for females.3 Some societies support FGC because they consider it a "good tradition" or a necessary rite of passage to womanhood. In many cultures that practice FGC, a woman achieves recognition and economic security through marriage and childbearing, and FGC is often a prerequisite for qualifying for wifehood. Therefore, FGC affords economic and social protection.1,3 Other rationale for FGC include beliefs that FGC enhances male sexuality;3 curbs female sexual desire; has aesthetic, purifying or hygienic benefits; and prevents promiscuity and preserves virginity1 and that the clitoris is an unhealthy, unattractive and/or lethal organ.3 Some argue that FGC has religious significance, but the custom cuts across religions and is practiced by Muslims, Christians, Jews and followers of indigenous religions.1,3 FGC is considered an important part of gender identity, which explains why many women and family members identify with and defend the practice.1 However, FGC is conducted in the broader context of gender discrimination.1,2,3 In cultures where FGC is practiced, men often control and perpetuate FGC by paying for their daughters to undergo the practice. They also may refuse to marry women who have not undergone FGC. These explanations for FGC do not justify its practice. Whatever the reason, the end result of FGC is that a female is subjected to an unnecessary, painful and health-compromising procedure.1
Because significant numbers of females continue to emigrate from countries where FGC is practiced, the population of females in the United States who have undergone FGC or who are at risk for FGC is increasing.3 Immigrants and refugees often establish social support systems and networks in the West that reflect the social and cultural diversity of their country or origin or ethnic group. Cultural activities and family obligations such as FGC may be unaltered by the geographic location of an individual. Furthermore, the problem of FGC in the United States is compounded by complex barriers that immigrants and refugees may face difficulties with cultural adaptation, immigration status, economic issues, isolation 1 and access to education and healthcare services for populations who have undergone FGC or who are at risk for FGC.3 Under federal law, FGC is illegal in the United States for girls under the age of 18. But if FGC is still performed, it is unlikely that the girl would be brought to a health care facility for the treatment of complications because the fear of legal repercussions would be too strong.1
FGC is deeply rooted in the traditions of a number of societies, but it is a form of violence against women and girls. In order for this practice to be understood, FGC must be placed within the broader context of discrimination against women across cultures and as a symptom of the greater problem of women's subordination and compromised dignity. The documented complications of FGC constitute a violation of a person's right to physical and mental health. Such fundamental freedoms are protected by several universal human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).2
Since 1998, 16 states have instituted criminal sanctions against the practice of FGC: California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.5 A federal law criminalizing the practice was passed in 1996 and became effective in April 1997. The law provides that the practice of FGC on a person(s) under the age of 18 is a federal crime, unless the procedure is necessary to protect the health of a young person or for medical purposes connected with labor or birth. The penalty for violating this law is a fine or imprisonment for up to five years, or both. This law specifically exempts cultural beliefs or practices as a defense for conducting FGC.1, 4
In addition to criminalizing the practice, Congress passed three other legislative measures relating to FGC. In 1996, Congress directed the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to carry out educational outreach to affected communities, develop and disseminate recommendations for students in medical and osteopathic schools, and undertake a study on FGC in the U.S. to determine the population who was at risk (statistics cited earlier). That same year, the second legal measure directed the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), in cooperation with the Department of State, to provide information to immigrants and refugees entering the United States from countries where FGC is practiced about the adverse health consequences associated with FGC and the legal consequences of performing the procedure in the United States. Finally, as part of fiscal year 1997, Congress enacted legislation requiring U.S. executive directors of international financial institutions to oppose non-humanitarian loans to countries where FGC is practiced and whose governments have not implemented educational programs to prevent the practice of FGC.1,4
Within the past decade, the silence that has surrounded FGC has faded. FGC has become one of the most talked about subjects among women's groups, especially in Africa.1 International and professional organizations as well as many governments have recognized that FGC is a violation of the human rights of women and girls. Many communities, governments and organizations recognize that gender discrimination underlies the practice of FGC and that the most effective strategies for dealing with FGC involve helping women and girls to become educated and empowered within their own communities and cultures. In addition, these groups recognize that the support of men, community leaders and other cultures is vital to stopping the practice.1 Advocacy by women's groups has placed FGC on the agenda of governments and has contributed to the formation of FGC programs, laws and policies worldwide. The influx of immigrants and refugees from countries where FGC is prevalent has led global governments and professional and grassroots organizations to examine and take action on FGC in host countries. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has worked to fulfill Congress' mandate on FGC by collecting and compiling FGC data, holding community meetings, and educating health professionals on FGC through the development and distribution of the technical manual called "Caring for Women with Circumcision."1
Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm
Center for Reproductive Rights
http://www.crlp.org/
Division of Violence Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/dvp.htm
Drug Enforcement Administration, DOJ
Phone: (202) 307-1000
Internet Address: http://www.usdoj.gov/dea
Food and Drug Administration, OPHS, HHS
Phone: (800) 332-4010 Hotline or (888) 463-6332 (Consumer Information)
Internet Address: http://www.fda.gov
Men Can Stop Rape
Phone: (202) 265-6530
Internet Address: http://www.mencanstoprape.org
National Center for Victims of Crime
Phone: (800) 394-2255
Internet Address: http://www.ncvc.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE or 1-800-787-3224 (D)
http://www.ndvh.org/
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH, HHS
Phone: (800) 662-4357 Hotline or (800) 662-9832 Spanish Language Hotline
Internet Address: http://www.drugabuse.gov
National Women's Health Information Center,
1-800-994-9662; 1-888-220-5446 (D)
http://www.4woman.gov/violence/index.htm
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Phone: (800) 666-3332 (Information Clearinghouse)
Internet Address:
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/index.html
PATH
Internet Address:
http://www.path.org/resources/fgm_the_facts.htm
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
125 N. Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025
1-888-772-PCAR
717-728-9740
717-728-9781 (Fax)
Internet address: http://www.pcar.org
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
1-800-656-HOPE
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network
Phone: (800) 656-4673 (656-HOPE)
Internet Address: http://www.rainn.org
Reproductive Health Outlook Annotated Bibliography on Harmful Traditional Practices
http://www.rho.org/html/hthps-b-02.html#fgm
Stop It NOW! (child sexual abuse)
413-268-3096
413-268-3098
http://www.stopitnow.com
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center
1-877-739-3895
The World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/health_topics/female_genital_mutilation/en/