Psychological harm, causes and response to sexual assault of females in developing country

Yufan Ding

doi:10.62051/gqff1d62

Authors

Yufan Ding

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62051/gqff1d62

Keywords:

Sexual assault; Female; Developing country.

Abstract

In many developing countries, due to the lack of sex education and knowledge about sex, sex can not be openly discussed and even becomes a topic that people avoid talking about. As a result, the severe consequences, core causes and effective solutions have not been displayed clearly yet. This dissertation focuses firstly on the psychological damage that occurs when women are sexually assaulted in developing countries, specifically discussing the short-term damage and phenomena like emotional damage and changes, the long-term damage and phenomena like Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), and the social constraints on seeking counselling like lacking of formal psychological clinics. It then discusses the causes of the criminalization of sexual assault. These include the shortage of sex education in the family and at school, regional gender inequalities and inadequate legal provisions against sexual assault. Finally, the response to sexual assault is discussed, divided into seeking help from the law and its advantages and disadvantages, seeking help from medication and psychiatric treatment, and awareness-raising on sexuality, the importance of this response is emphasized in each of these areas. For the meaning of the paper, it can provide help and instruction for people who are really attacked by sexual assault and people who want to make a contribution to improving the situation of fearful sexual assault.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

J. Shevrin Worldwide action needed to address hidden crisis of violence against women and girls. (2014). https://www.who.int/news/item/21-11-2014-worldwide-action-needed-to-address-hidden-crisis-of-violence-against-women-and-girls

Batra, R., & Reio, T. G. Gender Inequality Issues in India. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 18(1), (2016).88–101.

Mason, F., & Lodrick, Z. Psychological consequences of sexual assault. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 27(1), (2013).27–37.

Rothbaum BO, Foa E, Riggs DS et al. A prospective examination of post-traumatic stress disorder in rape victims. J Trauma Stress 1992; 5: 455–475.

Yehuda, R., Hoge, C., McFarlane, A. et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Nat Rev Dis Primers 1, 15057 (2015).

Abrahams, N., Jewkes, R., & Mathews, S. Depressive symptoms after a sexual assault among women: understanding victim-perpetrator relationships and the role of social perceptions. African Journal of Psychiatry, (2013).16(4).

Al-Shannaq, Y., & Aldalaykeh, M. Suicide literacy, suicide stigma, and psychological help seeking attitudes among Arab youth. Current Psychology, 42(8), (2021). 6532–6544.

Dagani, J., Buizza, C., Ferrari, C. et al. The role of psychological distress, stigma and coping strategies on help-seeking intentions in a sample of Italian college students. BMC Psychol 11, 177 (2023).

Oakland, T. D., & Cunningham, J. L. A Survey of School Psychology in Developed and Developing Countries. School Psychology International, 13(2), (1992). 99–129.

Pradhan, R., Wynter, K., & Fisher, J. Factors associated with pregnancy among adolescents in low-income and lower middle-income countries: a systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 69(9), (2015). 918–924.

Lorenz, K., Kirkner, A., & Ullman, S. E. A Qualitative Study of Sexual Assault Survivors’ Post-Assault Legal System Experiences. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 20(3), (2019).263–287.

Price, M., Davidson, T. M., Ruggiero, K. J., Acierno, R., & Resnick, H. S. Predictors of Using Mental Health Services After Sexual Assault. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(3), (2014).331–337.

Ullman, S. E. Mental Health Services Seeking in Sexual Assault Victims. Women & Therapy, 30(1–2), (2007).61–84.

Talib, J., Mamat, M., Ibrahim, M., & Mohamad, Z. Analysis on Sex Education in Schools Across Malaysia. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 59, (2012). 340–348.

Hall, K. S., McDermott Sales, J., Komro, K. A., & Santelli, J. The State of Sex Education in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(6), (2016). 595–597.