Running head: Sexual Assault Towards Woman: A Review of Literature

Sexual Assault Towards Women: A Review of Literature

Meagan Chavez
The University of Texas at El Paso

Sexual Assault Towards Woman

Abstract
Sexual assault towards woman is an important topic many people should become
educated and aware about. A few types of assault includes rape, fondling, and touching without
consent. Many women can be affected by this type of assault, and it can leave scars both
mentally and physically. Sexual assault does not only effect victims but women in general as
well. Walking in a dark alley by themselves while looking over her shoulder can bother her
mentally not letting her feel comfortable simply walking. There are many cases of sexual assault
towards woman as well as different views towards the subject. Questions were asked through the
review and well informative answers were provided with sources to back them up. This review
of literature will provide a large amount of research as well as information explaining sexual
assault towards women and what it actually is in depth. Through this review, you will come
across surveys, an interview, a couple of visuals and much more information regarding sexual
assault.

Sexual Assault Towards Woman

Sexual Assault towards Woman: A Review of Literature

Sexual assault towards woman has been an uprising topic for a while. This type of assault is a
power type and can range from verbal, physical, and rape Many forms of media has brought the
subject to peoples attention using music, shows, news, and many other forms. Sexual assault has
been a problem from somewhere as safe as student housing on college campuses to a normal
town/city surrounding. There are many different views regarding sexual assault and much
research has been done to obtain different views, situations, and facts about sexual assault
towards woman. The four questions below were conducted to begin the research about the views
listed above:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What is sexual assault?

What are peoples views on sexual assault?
How does sexual assault affect women and female victims?
What actions are being conducted so far about sexual assault?

This literature review will provide many facts about sexual assault as well as inform readers
about what sexual assault really is. It will also inform readers about how sexual assault is
affective and different based on peoples views on it.
What is sexual assault?
Today, women are more or less seen as equal to men: work wise, intelligence wise, and so
on. A womans strength, on the other hand, is usually overlooked by many people, as well as
taken advantage of at times. In the times any of those things are taken advantage of, sexual
assault can be a major consideration to some people. Sexual assault is an important topic to know
about because many women are becoming victims of it, and more people are starting to either act
for or against it. An organization named RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network)
defines sexual assault as a crime of power and control, and refers to sexual contact or

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behavior that occurs without explicit consent of the victim (RAINN, 2009). As said in earlier
paragraphs, different types of assault could be rape, fondling, or any type of any unwanted sex.
Sexual assault can happen from young girls to older woman. There have been many
people to say if there is no consent, then it is assault. One of the sources used had stressed if
someone continues to have sex with a partner or anyone who says no, it can be considered a
crime (RAINN, 2009). There have also been occurrences where women are under the influence
and taken advantage of which is definitely considered an assault in many peoples books. Also,
a child who is young and cannot defend them self when it happens is considered another form of
assault. These are only a few scenarios that take place.
According to RAINN (2009), The majority of perpetrators are someone known to the
victim. Friends, family, and spouses can all be considered a suspects only if they try anything
with no consent. There are different roles a loved one can take on and as long as the victim has
not given consent and the action still goes on, it is considered assault. H. Gilligan (2009) stated
in her article Knowledge not emotion stops rape that most sext offenders prey on people
they know (p.?). Imagine the effects on the victim after being sexually assaulted by someone
she knew and trusted. That is how the perpetrator planned for it to happen, to get her to trust
them and then to carry out the plan. In some cases, on the other hand, it might just happen as
well. The image below is from the article written by Gilligan (2009), and provides a chart
explaining the types of perpetrators relationships to victims. She states Rape statistics from the
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Gilligan 2009).

Sexual Assault Towards Woman

Figure 1. Stats for relations of perpetrators to victims.

Another potential perpetrator could be a total stranger. The different types of sexual
assault that can occur are Blitz, home invasions, and contact assault. (RAINN, 2009). Blitz
happens quickly and anywhere in a location where no one is around, and is hard to be hear.
Home invasions are when a victim is assaulted after a break-in. The final type of assault, contact
assault, is where a perpetrator eventually lures a victim in and it leads to an assault. Strangers
usually try to perform an act of sexual assault in an area where no one can really hear or see.
Many women who are potential victims to strangers may not have any idea it could happen to
them at any time because the perpetuators are very careful about how they go about a certain
situation like that.
Sexual assault can range from many different things as explained. There are so many
types of occurrences that can take place whether it is walking in a park at night, to sitting in a
living room and hanging out. It can also happen with someone a woman trusts the most in her
lifetime. Sexual assault is a subject to be very knowledgeable about because of all the things that
can take place. Woman especially should know at the very least about the dangers that may affect
them in their daily life.

Sexual Assault Towards Woman

What are peoples views on sexual assault?

Sexual assault is one of the most sensitive topics to talk about in general. While many
people may be against it, there are others who believe the victims themselves are at fault for any
type of sexual assault. Those who are against sexual assault state how wrong it is, how it should
be stopped, and how people
must take a stand against it. On the other hand, there are people who are not exactly for it, but
they believe it is the victims consent because of what they wear.
Many people see sexual assault as a crime, and work to help stop it. An organization
called National Center for Victims of Crime (2012), works to help victims and provide
counseling to help with coping towards the subject. This organization states, We are the nation's
leading resource and advocacy organization for crime victims and those who serve them
(NCVC , 2012). They work to help stop assault and help people overcome it.
Conversely, many other people are a bit convinced that the clothes women wear can
provoke rape. Although they believe it is what the victims wear, they do not support sexual
assault either. In the article What the Company Marketing Anti-Rape Underwear Gets Wrong
about Rape, T. Ressler (2013) called out a company named AR Wear who created anti rape
underwear. Ressler explained how they said a woman who wears their underwear will show they
do not consent. She then wrote how the company had believed sexual assault is an accident
(Ressler, 2013), meaning it is the result of the clothes women wear.
A survey of sexual assault was conducted by M. Chavez in a household that consists
mostly of women on April 2, 2016. Four women in total agreed to take place in the survey and it
was found that all for agreed that sexual assault was a serious crime. All four women also agreed

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sexual assault should be put to a stop and action should be taken against it. Chavez also found
that out of the four women who took the survey only one was assaulted. The survey asked for
opinions on whether people should become more educated on sexual assault or not, and only one
out of the four answered it did not matter. The bar chart below gives a bit of a visual image on
the results that M. Chavez found after the survey on sexual assault.

Survey on Sexual Assault

4
3
2
1
0

Yes

No

Does Not Matter

Figure 2: Results of the conducted survey by M. Chavez

A large amount of this research shows people have different views of what sexual assault
is caused by or how it is proceeded by the perpetrator. Sources also show that they do to try and
prevent it, and what their views on the type of assault are. The survey conducted by M. Chavez
gave a bit of an example of what a few woman think about the topic. The survey also gave views
to what woman believe should happen about sexual assault. As this review shows from other
sources, many people are highly disagree about sexual assault while others believe they can
provide simple solutions. Not only does this portion of the research show that people are willing
to talk about sexual about in a way that they are wanting to take a stand, but it also comes to a
conclusions that it is not actually the victims fault.

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How does sexual assault affect woman and female victims?

Sexual assault can range from rape to simple fondling. There are many victims of this
crime and many articles about it as well. Sexual assault can not only hurt a woman mentally, but
physically as well. A website source states sexual assault can have long term health effects
(Womans Health, 2015). Mental health effects that Womans Health (2015) says there can be
are: fear, anxiety, depression, stress, and many other countless problems. Not only can women
have those mental health effects, but they may also have to deal with physical effects as well.
The same source also gives information on the physical effects on sexual assault. A few
of those effects are headaches, self- injury, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and many
others that come with assault (Womans Health, 2015). Sexual assault can come with some major
aftermaths, and it does affect women in different ways. They may be very strong and overcome
it, or they may stay stuck in what happened and let these effects take over. All victims are
different.
Another way sexual assault can affect women is in their work environment. It has
happened where women become demoted, un-favored, or fired from a work place from refusing
assault or saying no to offers. An organization that goes by the name of Womens Law (N/A)
states that two types are Quid pro quo and Hostile work environment. Quid quo pro is when
the benefits an employer provides are given based off the will to give pleasure to the employer or
not. Hostile work environment is where one deals with unprofessional sexual comments,
unwanted contacts, or exposed to offensive sexual materials as a regular part of the work
environment (Womens Law, N/A).

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Victims are not the only ones who have to feel uncomfortable, but women who have not
been assaulted may feel uncomfortable as well. Walking through the streets at night can be a
pretty nerve wrecking situation for women that are alone. They also may look over their shoulder
every other step or even walk faster feeling something may happen. It may not even be just
walking down the street. Any uncomfortable situation may have them thinking something can
happen at any given opportunity.
An interview on sexual assault was conducted by M. Chavez on April 3, 2016. The
interview consisted of questions concerning the effects of sexual assault towards a female
interviewee who wished to remain anonymous. It was found that she had been only eighteen
years old at the time and the perpetrator was unknown. The experience of sexual assault affected
her to the point where she never wanted to go outside, approach men, or live. Later in the
interview, Chavez also discovered till this day it still very little bothers the interviewee, and she
always has her guard up. By the end of the interview, the interviewee stated she did not think she
could get through the specific period of time, but in the current present, the interviewee realized
it has made her stronger. Chavez stated she observed that the interviewee stood tall with her chin
up. This interview was conducted to provide from a victim herself, in order to answer the
question in a clearer manner.
Through research, it was found that women were affected by assault more than people
think. Whether they are assaulted or are not assaulted, they can still become worried at any
moment making them uncomfortable. It was shown sexual assault has long lasting effects
emotionally through a recent survey of an anonymous interviewee. She is not the only one, there
are many other cases of the same as well. Much of this research was conducted to inform readers
about the effects of sexual assault towards woman. Sexual assault has many different effects on

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victims themselves and women who have not experienced it. Sexual assault can affect female
victims and women in many different ways, whether it is long term or just for a moment.
What actions are being conducted to far about sexual assault?
Many actions have been taken to either begin stopping or preventing sexual assault.
There have also been actions to just simply make people aware. Then again, there are people
who do not really know what is going on and just go on with their lives, which is normal for
many people. Many organizations used as the sources for this review are working as of now to
help with victims and different sexual assault situations. There have been protests towards
clothing provoking assault and there are rallies against assault. RAINN, for instance, is an
organization that is out there for people to get help or counseling. Many actions both for and
against are taking place for sexual assault, and the subject is becoming more and more popular
because of them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, sexual assault is a subject with a wide variety of research and information.
This literature review provides a great amount of research information explaining views,
thoughts as well as examples of sexual assault. The research provided will expand the readers
knowledge on the subject and provides a large amount of information needed to educate the
reader on the subject. The questions that were stated have been answered through much research
and well thought out conclusions. Surveys and interviews were also conducted as part of the
research to answer the questions asked. This review of literature has many sources as well for
readers to look at themselves for much more information on sexual assault. Sexual assault is

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topic many people should become educated on because of the fact that it is becoming to be
brought up a lot more in todays society.

References

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Rainn. (2009). Sexual Assault. Retrieved from https://rainn.org/getinformation/types-of-sexual-assault/sexual-assault

Heather Gilligan. (2009) Richmond Confidential: Knowledge- not emotion- stops
rape. Retrieved from http://richmondconfidential.org/2009/11/05/knowledge-notemotion-stops-rape/
WomansHealth. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/sexualassault.html#
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. (2015, April 12). Retrieved April 2, 2016, from
http://www.womenslaw.org/laws_state_type.php?id=14600&state_code=PG
Bulletins for Teens: Sexual Assault. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from
https://victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crimevictims/bulletins-for-teens/sexual-assault
Ressler, T. C. (2013). What The Company Marketing Anti-Rape Underwear Gets
Wrong About Rape. Retrieved April 02, 2016, from
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/11/05/2889411/anti-rape-underwear-sexualassault/

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Appendix

Sexual Assault Survey

Conducted by M. Chavez on April 2, 2016
1. Do you believe sexual assault is a serious crime? Yes, no, does not matter?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
2. Do you believe sexual assault should be put to a stop? Yes, no does not
matter?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
3. Have you ever been put in a situation where you were sexually assaulted?
Yes, no, does not matter?
No
No
Yes
No
4. Do you believe action should be taken against sexual assault? Yes, no does
not matter?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
5. Should more people become educated on sexual assault? Yes, no, does not
matter?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Does not matter

Interview On Sexual Assault

Conducted by M. Chavez on April 2, 2016
1. How old were you when you were sexually assaulted? Who was the
aggressor?
I was 18 years old. I dont know who the aggressor is, they asked if I wanted
to know but I said no.

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2. How did this experience affect you?

I never wanted to go out. I was afraid to approach men and I didnt want to
be here, live anymore.
3. Does anything trigger emotion from the assault in your daily life now?
It kind of does, especially when I begin to drink. I start to think a lot about it
and that is when it starts to bother me.
4. How does it shape the person you are today?
I believe it made me stronger. I also never let my guard down. I have it up all
the time.
5. Do you have days where it bothers you?
Not really, I left all of it in the past.
Further comments:
I thought I wasnt going to make it or be able to live after it happened. It was
very, very hard.