Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is a serious social problem in Australia and worldwide. It has an impact on its victims' experiences of safety, self esteem, body image, relationships, sexuality, parenting and health. The origins of sexual violence are not fully understood and are the subject of debate, but it is increasingly accepted that they are linked to certain social and historical attitudes and behaviours in relation to women, and with the abuse of power (1).

What is sexual violence?

Sexual violence is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature directed towards a person. It includes a range of activities loosely grouped under the term 'sexual assault'. These include exposing genitals, touching of breast and/or the genital area, exposing a person to pornography, being forced to engage in masturbation or oral sex, and others. Sexual violence also includes rape, which is generally understood to mean forced sexual intercourse.

Sexual violence can be directed at people of any age. Child sexual abuse occurs when a young person is forced into sexual activity, usually with someone who is older, or in a position of authority. Sometimes child sexual abuse is used to mean any forced sexual activity involving children, but sometimes the term incest is used when the sexual activity occurs within the child's family.

Some of the terms used to describe forms of sexual violence are used interchangeably on occasions and differently by different researchers. Legal definitions can differ from the generally-understood community definitions. Definitions also vary between countries and, in some research, the definition of sexual violence has been extended to include behaviours which were not formerly recognised as violent, such as sexual harassment. These factors sometimes make it difficult to define precisely what we mean by 'sexual violence'.

What is the impact of sexual violence?

An act of sexual violence can have both physical and emotional consequences for the victim. Physical consequences will vary depending upon the acts involved but can include: damage to specific parts of the body as a result of forced sexual activity; general bruising and injury resulting from a person being attacked or restrained in some way; sexually transmitted infections; or pregnancy.

The emotional consequences of sexual violence can be extensive. Many women who experience sexual violence, whether as an adult or a child, feel in some way responsible for what has happened to them, especially in cases where they know their attacker. Many feel they are to blame, and are often left believing they could have done something to avoid it. Perpetrators of sexual violence sometimes use these feelings of self-blame, and even reinforce them, as a way of ensuring that their victims do not speak out.

Many survivors of sexual violence find the effects to be long lasting and traumatic. Feelings such as fear, powerlessness, humiliation and guilt associated with sexual violence can impact on many areas of women's lives such as their self esteem, physical and mental health, and relationships. Women who experienced childhood sexual abuse are more likely to suffer from a range of psychiatric, psychological and social problems in later life, including drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, depression and suicide attempts, and problems with relationships and sexuality (2,3,4).

Who experiences sexual violence?

For many reasons, it is not easy to gain an accurate picture of who experiences sexual violence. However, all research findings agree that the majority of victims of all types of sexual violence are female, and the majority of offenders are male.

It is equally difficult to gain an accurate picture of the number of women who experience sexual violence. Figures are obtained from both reported crime statistics and from surveys and other research in which women are asked about their experiences. Reported crime statistics consistently show much lower levels of sexual violence than women report in research studies. This suggests that much sexual violence goes unreported and that crime statistics greatly under-represent the actual levels of sexual violence in society.

A woman may decide not to report sexual violence against her for many reasons:

• She may feel ashamed and not want anyone to know.
  
• She may feel somehow responsible for what has happened.
  
• She may feel that no-one will believe her and that 'there is no point' in making a report.
  
• She may be unable to face the consequences of reporting, such as a medical examination, a police investigation and a court case, especially if
  she knows that her own behaviour and reputation will be scrutinised unsympathetically.
  
• She may feel she has no choice but to remain silent, especially if the perpetrator is someone on whom she depends for a home or financial support.
  
• She may be too frightened to tell anyone.
  
• She may not regard the incident as serious enough to report.
  

The difference between official crime statistics and women's volunteered information in surveys might stem from other reasons too. For example,

• Acts of sexual violence can be hidden within more general violence in official crime statistics, or recorded as family or marital conflict.
  
• Definitions of sexual violence in research are often broader and include a wider range of behaviours than definitions used within the legal system.
  
• All research is subject to inherent biases arising from the research methods used.

Facts and figures

The Recorded Crime, Victims 2006 report tells us that:

• There were 18 211 recorded victims of sexual assault across Australia, of which 4 606 were in Queensland (5).
  

The 2005 Personal Safety Survey report tells us that in the 12 months prior to the survey:

• There were 126 100 women who experienced sexual violence (includes both sexual assaults and sexual threats. Sexual threats are threats of a sexual nature which a person believed were likely to be carried out).
• Only 22% of women had experienced sexual assault by a stranger in the most recent incident (21% by a previous partner, 39% by a family member or friend and 32% by an other known person) (6).

What can be done for women who experience sexual violence?

For many survivors of sexual violence, talking to someone can be extremely important to their recovery. Sexual assault services offer women safe places to discuss their experiences so they can deal with the effects of sexual violence. As well as counselling, support groups that allow for women to share their experiences with each other can be useful. Reading about other women's experiences and recovery helps some women, as does talking to a counsellor over the phone. Some survivors, particularly those who have experienced sexual violence as adults, might embark on the road to recovery relatively quickly. Others, especially those who experienced sexual violence as children, may take many years to start to deal with their experiences. It is not uncommon for such women to approach a support service decades later.

Whatever their path to recovery, it is vital for women who have experienced sexual violence to have access to services and resources. Services are available at a range of locations across Queensland.

References

1. National Committee on Violence Against Women. National Strategy on Violence Against Women Commonwealth Government 1992
2. Roman S R. Childhood sexual abuse: Concerns and consequences Medical Journal of Australia Vol 166 No 2 1997 p59-60
3. Golding J M and Taylor D L. Sexual assault history and premenstrual distress in two general population samples Journal of Women's Health Vol 5 No 2 1996 p143-152
4. Shadigian, E M. Violence against women The Female Patient Vol 19 No 11 1994 p14-22
5. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Recorded Crime, Victims 2006 Canberra: ABS 2007 p19
6. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Personal Safety Survey Canberra: ABS, 2006 p11

This student factsheet is one of a series produced by Women's Health Queensland Wide. They have been developed in response to students' most frequently asked question and reflect a range of topics examined by high school and tertiary students. It has been reviewed by our Editorial Committee. This factsheet is designed for student assignment purposes and, therefore, may not be an appropriate source of information for personal use.

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Last Modified: October 30, 2007