Rape is a traumatic experience that affects the victim (survivor) in a physical, psychological, and sociological way.
Even though the effects and aftermath of rape differ among victims, individuals tend to suffer from similar issues found within these three categories.
Long-term reactions may involve the development of coping mechanisms that will either benefit the victim, such as social support, or inhibit their recovery.
[18] According to a study on the reactions after rape by the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 96 percent of women said they were scared, shaking, or trembling a few hours after their attack.
Survivors who experience characterological self-blame feel there is something inherently wrong with them which has caused them to deserve to be assaulted.
"In day-to-day life, when people are shamed and angry they tend to be motivated to get back at a person and get revenge."
Cognitive reprocessing is the process of taking the facts and forming a logical conclusion from them that is less influenced by shame or guilt.
[26] In a study about the impacts of rape of males, distinguished scholars Jayne Walker, John Archer, and Michelle Davies found that after their attack, male survivors had long-term depression, anxiety, anger, confusion about their masculinity, confusion about their sexuality, and grief.
[7] A study of adolescents in Brazil found prior sexual abuse to be a leading factor predicting several health risk behaviours, including suicidal thoughts and attempts.
In the context of rape, it refers to the attitude that certain victim behaviors (such as flirting or wearing sexually provocative clothing) may have encouraged the assault.
Rapists are known to use victim blaming as their primary psychological disconnect from their crime(s) and in some cases it has led to their conviction.
[38] Female rape victims receive more blame when they exhibit behavior which breaks the gender roles of society.
People who believe that the world is intrinsically fair may find it difficult or impossible to accept a situation in which a person is badly hurt for no reason.
Another theory entails the psychological need to protect one's own sense of invulnerability, which can inspire people to believe that rape only happens to those who provoke the assault.
[40] A study conducted in Britain found that women who are objectified based on the clothes that they wear and what the media says about them, the more likely they would be to experience victim-blame after a sexual assault.
[42] It has also been proposed by Roxane Agnew-Davies, a clinical psychologist and an expert on the effects of sexual violence, that victim-blaming correlates with fear.
[45] Many of the countries in which victim blaming is more common are those in which there is a significant social divide between the freedoms and status afforded to men and women.
[46] Contacting their local police department, visiting a medical center, and/or calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline are several options that survivors may consider while seeking justice.
[48] Factors that may influence a rape reporting decision include gender, age,[49] minority status, perceived outcomes, and social expectations.
The nature of the attack, how survivors choose to cope with their trauma, and social influences are a few of the many variables that impact the healing process.
[53] Cognitive Processing Therapy has been found to result in a decrease or remission of post trauma symptoms in survivors and to help them regain a sense of control.
In addition, meditation, yoga, exercise, rhythmic movement, and socialization may also provide elements of relief for survivors.
[54] Furthermore, support groups provide individuals with an opportunity to connect with other survivors and serve as a constant reminder that they are not alone.