South Ayrshire Multi Agency Partnership

Information For Women

Rape and Sexual Assault

What are sexual crimes?
Women and girls of all ages and backgrounds experience rape and sexual assault, and it can happen at any time in their lives. Because this is usually perpetrated by men they know, women and girls often choose not to report due to fear, shame or the feeling that they will be blamed or not believed.

Rape is sexual intercourse against your will, by a stranger, someone you know, a partner, boyfriend or family member. Rape can happen to a female at any age and rapists can be anyone from any background. Legally, rape can only occur when there is vaginal penetration by a penis. If penetration does not take place, or cannot be determined, then lesser charges, like sexual assault, will be considered.

Rape is a very serious crime, is often violent and is always frightening, emotionally damaging and has many long term effects on the victim.

Rape is a very difficult crime to prove and the burden of proof can often fall on the victim to prove sex took place against her will. With only 8% of all reported rapes ending in a conviction, victims often feel let down and unsupported by the legal system. Often women will talk about feeling like they were on trial rather than the accused.

The effects of rape are can be devastating and are numerous.
Short term effects:

• Shock
• Loss of control
• Feeling of powerlessness
• Feeling of unreality
• Disassociation

Long term effects:

• Guilt
• Shame
• Self blame
• Low self esteem
• Low confidence
• Depression
• Nightmares
• Flashbacks
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Anger
• Obsessive compulsive disorder

Sexual Assault is other sexual acts which can be perpetrated against you without your consent but does not include penetration. This can include:

• Being forced to perform oral sex or have oral sex performed on you.
• Being sexually assaulted with an object.
• Being made to perform or have any kind of sex act performed on you.

The effects of sexual assault are no less damaging or traumatic than rape and all of the above effects could also be relevant to survivors.

Child sexual abuse is when an adult or significantly older person treats a child in a sexual manner using force, bribery, trickery or by grooming the child. Children under the age of 16 are not deemed old enough to consent to any form of sexual behaviour and so all sexual contact between child and adult is sexual abuse. Child abusers are usually someone who is known to the child and is often a trusted family member or friend of the family. Child sexual abuse would include:

• A child having sexual remarks made to them.
• A child being watched while they undress.
• A child being made to watch pornography or look at pornographic pictures.
• A child being videoed or pictured naked or doing sexual things.
• A child being touched in a sexual way.
• A child being forced to perform oral sex.
• A child being forced to touch another person's sexual organs.
• A child being forced to have sexual intercourse.

The effects of child sexual abuse are often devastating and mostly disclosures only come when the child becomes an adult and so there are many years for the emotional damage to take effect.

Children don't usually disclose at the time of the abuse. This is for various reasons: fear, shame, guilt, self blame to name but a few. The effects of child sexual abuse are similar to rape and could even be described as greater. As well as the above effects, the following effects and behaviours are common:

• Self harming
• Eating disorders
• Personality disorders (DID)
• Mental health issues
• Inability to have normal sexual relationships
• Severe depression
• Illegal drug use
• Alcoholism
• Dependency on prescription drugs
• Inability to nurture own children

Like rape, child sexual abuse is a very difficult crime to prove, particularly when it is "historical abuse"ie when the crime has happened in childhood and is not reported till many years later. Again, the conviction rate for this crime is ridiculously low.

Your rights

I am not to blame for being sexually abused or raped
I have the right to be safe
I have the right to be treated with respect
I have the right to choose what I do with my own body
I have the right to say NO without giving reasons
I have the right to ask for help from others

What part of the word NO! is so hard to understand?

When you say NO, it should mean NO. There are many ways to say NO.

NO	means NO
I don’t want to	means NO
I like you but . . .	means NO
Maybe another time	means NO
I’m not sure	means NO
Let’s just go to sleep	means NO
Don’t touch me	means NO
F--- off	means NO
Silence	means NO

And none of the above should be interpreted as yes.