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Addressing sexual abuse

Fri, Jun 18th 2021, 07:29 AM
Opinion Nassau Guardian Stories

An estimated 7.9 percent of men and 19.7 percent of women globally experience sexual abuse prior to the age of 18. And across their lifetime, one in three women, around 736 million, are subjected to physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence from a non-partner.

Six percent of women globally report being sexually assaulted by someone other than their husband or partner. Non-reporting is actually the norm when it comes to sexual assault. According to US based Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (USRA&IN), only one in three sexual assaults is ever reported to the police.

The US Bureau of Justice Statistics (USBJS) indicates that if the perpetrator is or once was the survivor’s intimate partner, the victim will report the crime 25 percent of the time. When the offender is a friend or an acquaintance, 18 to 40 percent of the assaults are reported. If the offender is a stranger, victims report assaults roughly half of the time. With respect to these contexts empirical and anecdotal evidence point to higher numbers for the Caribbean.

According to the (USBJS), sexual assault survivors don’t come forward​ because, although unsure of the perpetrator’s intent, they fear retaliation. Perhaps they don’t want the offender to get in trouble, their families or anyone to know or don’t have enough proof. They may feel the police won’t believe them or wouldn’t do anything to help them or that the assault was a personal matter, not important enough to report.

In addition, victims may feel responsible for what happened to them, or embarrassed about their lack of knowledge or judgment. They might feel guilty that they had too much to drink or were engaging in a risky, inappropriate behavior. And young victims living at home might worry that their parents will be angry and unsupportive. As well, in the Caribbean stigmas and shame, especially in situations where perpetrators are family members or close family friends, play a role in non-reporting. Also, the response of police, in far too many instances, is a disincentive to reporting.

However, keeping sexual assault a secret, as is often the case in the Caribbean, hampers survivors’ healing and empowers predators who might well continue with that behavior. By sharing the trauma with supportive professionals, friends or family members, victims can begin to reclaim their lives and bodies, eventually moving past the pain and ensuring that sexual predators are brought to justice, so others are protected from them. Thus, the need for critical support circles and trained police (sensitization, empathy, familiarity with relevant laws) to foster the process of seeking justice.

In 2017, India’s Supreme Court ruled that girls under 18 would be able to charge their husbands with rape, as long as they complained within one year of being forced to have sexual relations. This is instructive for the Caribbean, where martial rape has been on the rise during the pandemic, and where the age of consent needs to be raised to 18 years, to match the legal age for adulthood.

Six percent of women globally report being sexually assaulted by someone other than their husband or partner. Non-reporting is actually the norm when it comes to sexual assault. According to US based Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (USRA&IN), only one in three sexual assaults is ever reported to the police.
The US Bureau of Justice Statistics (USBJS) indicates that if the perpetrator is or once was the survivor’s intimate partner, the victim will report the crime 25 percent of the time. When the offender is a friend or an acquaintance, 18 to 40 percent of the assaults are reported. If the offender is a stranger, victims report assaults roughly half of the time. With respect to these contexts empirical and anecdotal evidence point to higher numbers for the Caribbean.
According to the (USBJS), sexual assault survivors don’t come forward​ because, although unsure of the perpetrator’s intent, they fear retaliation. Perhaps they don’t want the offender to get in trouble, their families or anyone to know or don’t have enough proof. They may feel the police won’t believe them or wouldn’t do anything to help them or that the assault was a personal matter, not important enough to report.
In addition, victims may feel responsible for what happened to them, or embarrassed about their lack of knowledge or judgment. They might feel guilty that they had too much to drink or were engaging in a risky, inappropriate behavior. And young victims living at home might worry that their parents will be angry and unsupportive. As well, in the Caribbean stigmas and shame, especially in situations where perpetrators are family members or close family friends, play a role in non-reporting. Also, the response of police, in far too many instances, is a disincentive to reporting.
However, keeping sexual assault a secret, as is often the case in the Caribbean, hampers survivors’ healing and empowers predators who might well continue with that behavior. By sharing the trauma with supportive professionals, friends or family members, victims can begin to reclaim their lives and bodies, eventually moving past the pain and ensuring that sexual predators are brought to justice, so others are protected from them. Thus, the need for critical support circles and trained police (sensitization, empathy, familiarity with relevant laws) to foster the process of seeking justice.
In 2017, India’s Supreme Court ruled that girls under 18 would be able to charge their husbands with rape, as long as they complained within one year of being forced to have sexual relations. This is instructive for the Caribbean, where martial rape has been on the rise during the pandemic, and where the age of consent needs to be raised to 18 years, to match the legal age for adulthood.

 

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