She may spend all her waking hours distracting herself from feeling or thinking. The survivor may withdraw from social relationships or personal interactions with friends and relatives. She may stuff her feelings to avoid pain or due to a belief that people are tired of hearing about the assault or her feelings. She may deny that the rape has affected her and will assure everyone that she is fine. Former feelings of well being, security, and control over life have been taken away from her by the assault. During this time, the survivor may feel depressed and experience a general sense of loss. The Outward Adjustment phase can last from several weeks to several years. Some survivors may appear unaffected by the assault.
Not everyone exhibits outward signs of their pain and trauma. Other feelings during this time may include: The survivor may also be feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed, confused and angry. For instance, someone assaulted in their bedroom may fear sleeping in bedrooms. Specific fears related to the assault may develop. During the Acute Phase, the most common feeling is a heightened sense of fear: fear of the rapist returning, fear of men, fear of being alone, fear of the dark. The acute phase starts during the assault and may last for several weeks. The three stages or phases often overlap and vary in duration from person to person. Survivors consistently describe certain symptoms, which when clustered, fall into three stages, known as “rape trauma syndrome,” - a subcategory of PTSD. The impact may be felt for a considerable period after the assault. Studies show that survivors of sexual assault suffer from a significant degree of physical and emotional trauma as a result of their terrifying experience.
People who have experienced this level of trauma describe symptoms that have been grouped into a diagnosis called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), also known as the “Vietnam Vets Syndrome.” The impact of such an experience can be felt for a long time. 194 footnotes.When individuals have a life-shattering experience that includes acute fear or terror, that experience leaves an imprint on the mind.
Rape trauma syndrome trial#
So long as the trial judge closely supervises the admission of rape-trauma-syndrome testimony, it should be admitted due to its being the best and often the only evidence relevant to the consent issue in rape cases. They do not agree on whether or not rape-trauma evidence is helpful or prejudicial to juries. Regarding the relevance of such evidence to the nonconsent element of rape, however, courts have reached opposite conclusions. The Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri Supreme Courts have accepted rape trauma evidence under the Frye test. In evaluating the admissibility of expert testimony, the majority of jurisdictions use the Frye test, which requires that the scientific evidence presented be generally accepted by the relevant scientific community. The use of expert testimony on rape trauma syndrome could help to establish the victim's lack of consent. Although rape law has progressively attempted to shift the focus of rape trials from the victim's behavior to that of the defendant, evidence of the victim's lack of consent continues to be a critical factor in persuading a jury to convict. The rape trauma syndrome involves characteristic psychological effects derived from the trauma of the rape event.
0 kommentar(er)
