When we think of ill-treatment against women, we tend to look outside our own environment -- even our own country. We think of the view that women are second-class citizens as something as possibly tied to weird religions or the customs and archaic laws of far-away countries.
But the sexual and physical abuse of women in America is common -- so common that one in four will be beaten by their partner and one in nearly five will face sexual or attempted sexual assault.
A government survey, made public in December 14th, 2011, shows that these numbers are higher than previously thought. The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network believed the number to be at 272,350, as opposed to the 1.3 million this study suggests. Called the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, the study was conducted via telephone and was lead by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study included over 16,000 people and included both men and women. Women reported abuse in far higher numbers than men.
However, men are not always the abusers. One in seven men reported being badly beaten by a partner and one to two percent reported being raped, most of it in childhood.
When asked about the mental and physical repercussions of rape and abuse, women reported instances of bowel and digestive problems as well as asthma and both men and women reported general ill-health both physically and mentally, including difficulties sleeping, ongoing pain and headaches.
Most of the women with a history of abuse said they had post-traumatic stress disorder. About one third of the men also reported this condition as part of the aftermath of their abuse.
The vast majority (90 percent) of women were raped by a partner or someone they knew. This was also the case with 40 percent of male rape victims.
If you are a male or female victim or survivor of rape, abuse or incest, contact the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network at 1-800-656-HOPE or click on http://www.rainn.org/
SOURCE:
The New York Times. Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted. Web. Dec 15, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/health/nearly-1-in-5-women-in-us-surve...
Join EmpowHER's Sexual Abuse Recovery Group here: https://www.empowher.com/groups/Sexual-Abuse-Recovery-Group . This is a private, supportive group for women dealing with, or recovering from abuse.
Reviewed December 16, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith