The Role of the Victim and Victim Advocate in Managing Sex Offenders

1. The Role of the Victim and Victim Advocate in Managing Sex Offenders Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective

2. Learning Objectives • Identify mistaken beliefs about sexual assault; • Discuss the prevalence of sexual assault and its impact on victims; • Identify the different forms of intra-familial abuse and some of the family dynamics unique to incest cases; and • Identify the importance of cultural competency in working with victims of sexual assault. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

3. Definition of Sexual Assault “Forced or manipulated unwanted sexual contact between two or more adults or two or more minors, or any sexual contact between an adult and a minor, or between two minors with a significant age difference between them.” Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

4. Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers. FACT: 3 of 4 victims know their attacker. Assault is avoidable with care and alertness. FACT: The attacker is usually someone the victim has reason to trust. Sexual impulsiveness or frustration cause rape. FACT: Most assaults are planned. Myths and Facts Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

5. Myths and Facts • Sexual assault is only harmful if there is visible physical injury. • FACT: Victims suffer regardless of whether they sustain visible injury; the violation of trust victims suffer can dramatically increase their level of trauma. • Child abusers usually find victims in places like schoolyards or playgrounds. • FACT: 90% of child abusers choose to victimize children they already know. • Women “cry” rape. • FACT: Less than 8% of claims of sexual assault are found to be unfounded. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

6. Myths and Facts • The majority of sex offenders are caught, convicted, and in prison. • FACT: A small number of rapes are reported and a fraction of offenders apprehended and convicted. • All sex offenders are male. • FACT: The majority of sex offenders are male, but females do commit some sex offenses, particularly against children. • Youths do not commit sex offenses. • FACT: 1/5 of rapes and 1/2 of child molestations are committed by adolescents. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

7. Cross Examination of a Robbery Victim • How does this scenario relate to sexual assault? • Why are sexual assault victims more frequently blamed and not believed? • If a victim complies with the offender, does that mean she was not robbed? • Do people “ask” to be sexually victimized? • What would be a better, more supportive response to a victim of sexual assault? Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

8. Fears Resulting in Non- or Delayed Reporting • No one will believe him or her. • She/he will not be treated fairly by criminal justice system. • Being blamed because of alcohol or drug abuse. • Exposing her/his private life. • Retaliation by offender or others. • When personal attachment exists, getting the offender in trouble. • In incest cases, breaking up the family. • If the victim is an illegal alien, deportation, criminal charges, or the removal of children by authorities. • Offender will act on previously made threats. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

9. Other Reasons for Non- or Delayed Reporting • Failure to recognize coercive sex as assault. • Failure to identify assault by friend or lover as criminal. • Memory loss, discomfort with details, or fear of exposing illegal behavior. • Desire to put the situation behind her/him. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

10. Rape Trauma Syndrome: The Acute Phase Physical reactions: soreness, fatigue, nightmares, loss of appetite, etc. Emotional reactions: mood swings, anger, irritability, feeling of numbness, etc. Denial or recoil phase: the victim tries to forget, seeks out the familiar, avoids talking about the incident or seeking help from doctors or police. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

11. Rape Trauma Syndrome: The Long Term Phase Psychological reactions: nightmares, fears, feelings of guilt, self-blame, and anger. Social reactions: Changing of address and disruption of relationships. Sexual reactions: Fear of sex altogether or an increase in sexual activity. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

12. Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Assault

13. Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Assault • Children do not fit neatly into theories or categories. • A child’s reaction varies depending on numerous factors including self-esteem levels, family support, etc. • Signs and symptoms are warning signs and are not definite indicators of abuse. • The absence of signs does not mean a child’s disclosure is false. • Children victims are prone to sexual dysfunction and abusive relationships in the future. • Children are NEVER at fault for abuse perpetrated against them. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

14. Accommodation Syndrome • Secrecy • Helplessness • Entrapment and Accommodation • Delayed, Conflicted, and Unconvincing Disclosure • Retraction Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

15. Traumagenic Dynamics Theory • Traumatic Sexualization • Betrayal • Stigmatization • Powerlessness Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

16. Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective Intra-Familial Sexual Abuse

17. Family Dynamics in Parent-Child Incest Cases • The child may still feel love for the abuser. • Secrecy is imposed by the perpetrator through the use of threats and coercion. • A child’s reaction to the abuse varies greatly. • Children may prefer the “special” attention to no attention at all. • They may consider the abuse as “normal.” • They may feel shame by experiencing sexual gratification during the abuse. • Negative emotions may lead to self-abusive or outwardly destructive behaviors. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

18. Dynamics of Non-Offending Parents and Children • Victim feels angry toward non-offending parent for not protecting her/him. • Victim feels divided loyalty. • There may be concurrent abuse of the non-offending parent. • These parents may be previous victims making them unable to identify signs of abuse. • The non-offending parent may be dependent on the offender (e.g. financially, emotionally, etc.) • Even with the abuse, emotional ties between family members are still strong. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

19. Child Disclosure in Incest Cases • Children disclose at great risk to themselves. • Recanting following a disclosure is a common response by a child victim. • A child’s style of accommodation or coping mechanisms may be used to discredit their disclosure. • Non-offending parents may not support the child if the parent is dependent on the abuser. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

20. Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective Sibling Incest

21. Similar Dynamics in Sibling Incest Cases • Victim has less power. • Offender may use force, coercion, or threats. • Victim may prefer the attention to no attention at all. • Victim may not disclose. • Parents may feel forced to choose between the offender and victim. • Victim may not recognize the situation as abusive. • Non-offending parents may collude with the offender, reinforcing denial or minimization. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

22. Dynamics Unique to Sibling Incest Cases • Offenders may be victims of abuse (e.g. parent-child incest) themselves. • Environment is highly sexualized. • Difficult to distinguish between exploration and abuse when coercion is not explicit. • Parents reluctant to recognize abusive behavior. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

23. Important Dynamics in Sibling Incest Cases • Parents may resent intrusion of others into what they may view as a private family matter. • Parents should be involved in the treatment of both the offender and the victim. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

24. Dynamics in Partner Rape • Offenders use a variety of ways to control the victim. • Offenders try to isolate victim and increasingly demand secrecy. • There may be a pattern of violence followed by calmness and loving attention. • Abuse is long lasting, resulting in victim loss of power, self-esteem. • The victim’s resources and options for escape diminish over time. • Children, while sworn to maintain secrecy, may act out in destructive ways. • To the outside world, offenders may present themselves as upstanding citizens. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

25. Disclosure of Marital or Partner Rape • Disclosure is difficult because offender uses threats and coercion. • Victims may choose to endure abuse because it is the least harmful alternative. • More likely to disclose physical abuse as opposed to sexual abuse. • May not even recognize violent sexual contact within the marriage as abuse. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

26. Secondary Impact of Sexual Assault • Those who share relationships with the offender or victim may experience reactions similar to victims. • They need their own support systems. • They need education to better support the victim. • The revenge reaction by those close to victim must be dealt with. • If they were also previously abused, they might be dealing with their own feelings triggered by event. • Their pain should not be underestimated. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

27. Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective Cultural Competency: Responding with Sensitivity to Victims from All Backrounds

28. Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim’s Perspective Seniors and People with Disabilities

29. Older Victims • Age-related physical conditions may increase a victim’s risk of serious injury. • Physical coercion can be more easily applied to older victims. • Older people’s routines and reliance on public transportation can increase their vulnerability. • Limited income may limit their lifestyle choices and their response to crimes. • Older victims may be reliant on abusive caretakers. • They may be reluctant to discuss sexual matters and too ashamed to tell anyone about the abuse. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

30. People with Mental Illness • The trauma of sexual assault may exacerbate their illness and their symptoms. • A mental illness can be used to discredit a victim’s disclosure of sexual abuse, especially in the criminal justice system. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

31. People with Physical Disabilities • Reliance on family members or caregivers and limited mobility can contribute to a victim’s vulnerability. • Communities of people with disabilities can be small and limit a person’s personal care options. • Predictable routines and reliance on public transportation can also increase a victim’s vulnerability. • Family members and loved ones may become overly protective of the victim once an assault has occurred. • After a sexual assault, people with physical disabilities may experience a sense of helplessness and loss of confidence. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

32. People with Developmental Disabilities • People with developmental disabilities may not be able to understand the abuse, available intervention options, sexuality, or the engagement in sexual behaviors. • Their eagerness to be liked can make them easier to manipulate and more vulnerable to abuse. • They may be reluctant to report out of fear of not being believed or being blamed. • They may also be reluctant to disclose abuse by an abusive caretaker because they are dependent on that caregiver. • There are few community resources for those with developmental disabilities who are sexually assaulted. Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

33. Life Experiences of Victims • Survivors of racism/prejudice/homophobia • Mistrust of criminal justice/medical systems • Reluctance to betray her/his community • Citizenship status • Language barriers • Taboos • Anger • Gender and sexuality • Public disclosure Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective

34. Conclusion • Questions Coming up next: • Working with Sexual Assault Victim Advocates Section 2: Understanding Sexual Assault from a Victim's Perspective