Phenomenal Women Of The Web
Understanding the Survivor of Rape
Laura M Surratt
I Am A Proud Member Of:
Phenomenal Women Of The Web
In this society, rape is usually lumped into one category. The image that comes to mind is that of a psychotic stranger grabbing a woman and raping her in a dark alley. Although this is the tragic reality for some women, most women are raped by "normal" acquaintances. It is important to note that rape is not only a problem for women. It is estimated that 10% of survivors that seek help from crisis centers are men, however, this may not be an accurate figure, because men are less likely to report a rape or seek help after an assault than women (Warshaw, 1988). This discussion of rape and the survivors of rape will only include adult women, because the experiences of male survivors and children may be very different.
This discussion will mainly focus on the survivors of acquaintance rape and the implications for therapists treating these women. Survivors of acquaintance rape tend to not report the rape or ask for help after the rape. These facts are probably due to the fact that many survivors of acquaintance rape do not view their experience as rape.
Therapists need to be aware of the differences that may be present in survivors of stranger rape and acquaintance rape. The experiences are likely to be different, but also hold an integral part that is very much the same. It is an injustice to survivors, to not become aware of the societal and experiential determinants that shape the reactions of a survivor.
In this discussion the term survivor will be used, rather than victim. Although women who experience rape are victims of violence, they are also active parties in the experience of survival. The implications for using the term survivor is to bring awareness to the passivity of the term victim, and replace the helplessness brought about through victimization with the active role of survivor.
Table of Contents
Definition of Acquaintance Rape
Survivor Experience of the Rape
Survivor Perception of the Rape
Communication in Intimate Relationships
Involvement in Sexual Activity
Physiological Experience to Sexual Interaction
Emotional Experience to Sexual Interaction
