Women who have been sexually abused



Abstract

Women play a very pivotal role in society. Although various things have changed for women in the last few decades, but still women in the world are being treated in a discriminatory manner. Unfair treatment of women means the presence of violent aspects in a women, such as partner abuse, intimate partner violence and domestic abuse - takes many forms. Ill-treatment taking place in the context of any relationship is emotional violence. In this paper all the above mentioned problems related to women abuse and more will be discussed in a holistic manner.



Table of Contents

Introduction1

Types of Violence1

Violence against Women in Community3

Cross-Cultural Violence against Women4

Effects of Violence against Women5

Prevention and response7

WHO's response8

Role of a Counselor9

The benefits of Counseling9

Responses to Violence against Women10

Mothering and Pregnancy12

Conclusion13



Women Who Have Been Sexually Abused

Introduction

Violence against women is a serious, persistent, and global social problem. Scholars and activists primarily embed violence against women in a discourse connected to the universal right for all women to live free from violence. Women are disproportionately at risk for experiencing interpersonal violence when compared to their male counterparts. Violence against women takes many forms, including physical abuse, sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, and stalking. Cross-cultural research indicates that violence is associated with other socio-cultural factors that limit women's access to resources (Briere, Jordan, 2004, p.1252).

Data indicate that in the United States, women are at the greatest risk for experiencing violence during their reproductive years, ages 16 to 24. Violence against women and children is therefore deeply rooted in the larger body of knowledge pertaining to violence against women overall.

Types of Violence

In the United States, data on violence against women are collected according to four primary types: physical abuse, sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, and stalking. Physical abuse is described as acts of physical aggression. These acts range from behaviors such as slapping to severe acts that include perpetrating an assault with a deadly weapon such as a gun or knife. Approximately 20-25 percent of adult women in the United States have been physically abused by a male intimate partner in their lifetime. Among women in childbearing or reproductive years, this rate increases to 32 percent. Fractures, bruises, and bullet holes are not the only physical manifestation of abuse; physical health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are also related to violence against women (Buzawa, Buzawa, 2002).

Acts of sexual violence, including rape, are persistent problems in today's world. Sexual violence is defined as sexual acts perpetrated against someone's will. These acts may be a result of force, threats of force, or other acts of coercion, and may be perpetrated by an individual known or unknown to the victim. Approximately 7.7 percent of women report being raped by an intimate partner throughout their life. Marital rape is also a widespread problem, and was previously not recognized as a crime or therefore prosecuted through the justice system. It was not until 1986 that the Federal Sexual Abuse Act criminalized marital rape throughout the United ...