Data from the National Women’s study show that approximately 683,000 women are forcibly raped each year and that up to 90% of those raped do not report the offense to police. In a national survey of college students 27.7% of the women said that they had an experience that met the legal definition of or attempted . In the same survey, 7.7% of the men reported behavior, which met the legal definition of .

What is rape?
The legal definition of rape varies from state to state and nation to nation. Chances are that you know someone who has been raped or perhaps you yourself have been raped.

The general definition of rape involves performing sexual acts without the person’s consent by , force, or fraud. The victim may be declared legally incapable of consenting if she is known to be mentally incompetent, intoxicated, or drugged at the time of the rape.

Rape issues have been a controversial topic in the United States for several years. One significant reform has been the removal of statutes requiring that rape victims physically resist the attack. Preceding this reform, victims of rape had to prove that they did not consent to sexual relations. In order to prove that they did not consent they had to show signs of injury. Since the effects rape can have on young women can haunt them for the rest of their lives, they should seek medical and psychological help immediately.

How does being raped affect a young woman?
I interviewed a victim of rape. Her name is Samantha Pierson1 is a twenty-one year old freshman in college. She was visiting her step-grandfather in Okmulgee, Oklahoma during Memorial Day weekend in 1996. She was forcibly raped by her step-uncle, Howard Jenkins. The national Crime Victimization survey indicates that known assailants commit 92% of reported rapes. He was in his late thirties when he raped Miss Pierson and she was only seventeen years old.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 40% of rape victims that reported the crime to police are eighteen years old or younger. 15% of those 40% are under the age of twelve.

Samantha had been drinking before the attack, but she had not been around Howard. When she reached her limit, she went to bed. After everyone was asleep, Howard crept into the guest bedroom, where Samantha was asleep. She awoke when he was trying to take her panties off. She screamed so he hit her repeatedly and threatened her life. He shoved a sock into her mouth. He then proceeded to get on top of her and forced himself inside of her. She tried to fight him, but the more she struggled, the rougher her was with her. She had been a virgin until he raped her. After he finished he said, “It will be my word against yours and my dad will get me off (the charges). If you tell anyone you will it forever.”

She never officially reported the crime. When asked why she did not report the rape and have Howard prosecuted, she replied, “Because of the threats he made. It happened in Okmulgee, which was known to be a crooked town. Howard’s father is well off. When Howard raped me, his father had the police chief and the district attorney under his thumb. Trying to prosecute Howard would have been a waste of time and my ’s reputation; I couldn’t put them through that humiliation.”

Her family tried to act as if Howard did not rape her. They never talked about it. They moved to Tulsa. Samantha thinks that her family believes it was her fault. “All of the healing I have done has been on my own, with the exceptions of God and the help of some good long after the incident.”

Shortly after the rape, Samantha did not have anyone she could to talk to about what she was feeling. She became severely depressed. Consequently, she cut herself off from the world, including the few friends she had. She contemplated suicide often. She couldn’t sleep and she didn’t want to eat. She lost interest in school, so she skipped class all the time. She quit her job. She fell in with the wrong crowd. She began smoking cigarettes and marijuana, and she started abusing . The lasted over nineteen months. She still gets somewhat depressed from time to time. She could not stop blaming herself. A part of her still blames herself today.

When she was asked how the rape had affected her life she replied, “I didn’t have until twenty months after I was raped. The only reasons I did it then was because I felt ready to have , and I trusted the guy I did it with. He had been my friend since I was twelve years old. I am still sorta frigid in bed and my lovers have a very difficult time bringing me to orgasm. I have had eleven lovers since the rape (4 years ago) and only one has been able to get me off. The lover that succeeded was my eleventh lover, but he still had to hard for it. I think he was able to get me off because we loved each other and because I was able to him.”
“Why do you think Howard raped you?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. They say a man rapes a woman because of his aggression toward women, but I think Howard was just horny.”

Samantha never got psychological help. The only medical help she sought was a pregnancy test and STD tests. The results were negative on everything. She was lucky in that aspect. 4.7% of the women that are raped each year become pregnant by their attacker. One out of every 500 women raped each year contract the HIV virus. Between 3.6% and 30% of rape victims develop other sexually transmitted diseases each year.

She was forced to deal with her emotions and mental state on her own. It took her a long time to begin to come to terms with the rape. She knows she still has a long road ahead of her. She still suffers from headaches, insomnia, flashbacks, an eating disorder, and sexual dysfunction. She will usually get after a flashback so she does not have to deal with the painful memories.

Nobody reacts to or trauma exactly the same way. However, many victims of rape develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is also known as rape trauma syndrome. This disorder has three definable stages: trauma, denial, and resolution. During the trauma stage, the victim has an intense fear of being alone. This can be brief or can continue for a long time. She may also fear or mistrust men. Some women are angry with all men. It is common for women to experience sexual problems after they have been raped. For some women it becomes a long-lasting problem. Most victims develop depression. Sometimes it is minor, but it can become severe and even life threatening. When the victim has her attacker prosecuted, she usually fears retaliation. Most victims worry about how their family and friends will react. Occasionally, they will not support the victim, but that is more the exception than the rule. The support of family and friends is sometimes crucial to recovery. A large percentage of rape victims develop physical problems such as: venereal diseases, stomach aches, chronic headaches, back problems, insomnia, recurrent nausea, menstrual pain, fatigue, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction and/or suicide attempts. They also may have of , helplessness, , pain, embarrassment, or anxiety. All of these feelings are typical reactions. They usually diminish with time.

In the denial stage, the victim does not want to talk about the crime. She wants to act as if it never happened. She wants to move on with her life. This stage could last for months or even years.

In order for the victim to progress to the resolution stage, she must deal with her fears and feelings the rape caused. The best way to resolve these feelings is to talk to someone about it. A counselor is particularly useful in helping the victim overcome the pain and move on with her life. After the victim has come to terms with the experience, she can regain a sense of control over her life. If the victim does not reach a resolution, she may suffer from long-term psychological problems such as: anxiety, panic attacks, low self-esteem, stress disorders (PTSD), personality disorders, substance , and/or self- behaviors.

The effects of rape can be life threatening. It is crucial for the victims to get help. Their and psychological state may depend on it. For example, Samantha never received help and she is still trying to overcome the problems that the rape caused her. The rape changed her life completely and she is still struggling to get her life back. If you know someone that has been raped try to be there for her. If you have been raped, please, get help. You don’t have to suffer in silence.

On this day..


  1. names have been changed to protect the identities of the people involved [↩]