The Trauma of Rape

The Trauma of Rape: "The Trauma of Rape
By Fran Driscoll

Fran Driscoll graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts in Letters and Science. She is currently employed as an education assistant at Wisconsin Right to Life and is a volunteer in various local organizations.

RAPE. Excluding homicide, rape is the crime most devastating to its victims. Whether it be the parent of a daughter late in coming home or the lone woman leaving work at night, the fear of sexual assault is very real, very alive. Some would define it as the ultimate act of savagery against women. But, regardless of how it is defined, rape damages the physical, mental and social well-being of its victims. In addition to the trauma of the physical attack (assuming the victim survives), there is the very real threat of contracting AIDS, venereal disease, or other infection from the attacker. But in regard to long-term damage, mental harm usually presents the greatest problem. Psychological manifestations following rape are referred to as 'the rape trauma syndrome.'1"

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posted by Robert Heard at 9:39 PM