Unit 11 M1 D1 The types and reasons for possible abuse
M1: Assess the likely immediate effects of two different forms of abuse on the health and
wellbeing of adults.
D1: Evaluate the potential long term effects of these two types of abuse on the health and
wellbeing of adults.
Sexual Abuse
The disturbance that ensues after sexual assault/ rape may reveal itself instantly after the event or,
typically, a period of time after the event. Short-term effects that may be experienced by a rape or
sexual assault survivor could be as follows;
Shame
Survivors of sexual assault or rape may believe that they are unclean, permanently flawed or bad.
Boundaries
Many survivors are unsure about their personal boundaries or that they possess the right to have
them. A lot of survivors require support in practising and progressing boundaries.
Isolation
Isolation is an extensive issue regarding adult survivors of rape or sexual assault. A majority of
survivors feel they are unworthy of support and that other people will not want relationships with
them. In some parts of the world sexual assault survivors do not voice their ordeals in fear of have
judgement brought upon themselves and their family, with many being rejected from their own
communities.
Minimizing
Some sexual abuse and rape survivors will minimize their ordeal believing that their experience was
not as severe as another person’s. This is a coping mechanism. Rape and sexual assault councillors
must authenticate the impact of the situation and inform the survivor that it is completely fitting
that they be distressed, distraught and wounded from it.
Guilt
Survivors often feel as though the rape or sexual assault was their doing. It is challenging for
survivors to see that the offender is the one to blame. A majority of the time the offender was an
individual they knew intimately and they feel they want to protect them. It could be that if they did
blame the abuser they begin to feel the vulnerability of the situation.
Amnesia
A rape or sexual assault survivor may be unable to recall the event due to different forms of
amnesia. Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a confusion occurring immediately after a traumatic event.
There are two forms of PTA; retrograde amnesia (a loss of memory from shortly before the event),
and anterograde amnesia (issues with forming new memories after the traumatic event).
Physical
Some survivors of sexual abuse may have somatic complaints, difficulty in concentrating, eating
disturbances, and anxiety or physical signs of abuse on the body after the assault such as anal or
vaginal bleeding.
Denial
Some survivors may be in denial or what happened and supress the emotions that are typically felt
after a sexual assault. Survivors in denial may use phrases such as “I’m fine” or “It wasn’t that bad”.
Emotional
Some survivors of sexual abuse may become very expressive in their emotions for example sadness
and anger. They may also become disoriented for example denial or disbelief, or they may become
controlled for example calm and distant. Emotionally survivors may also experience some form of
depression which could lead to substance abuse or suicide attempts if really severe.
Safety
Sexual assault victims may have unrealistic views regarding their safety, perceiving unsafe situations
as safe, and viewing safe situations as unsafe. Ensuring the safety of a sexual assault survivor is
extremely important, this could be asking questions such as “Is anyone hurting you?” for example.
M1: Assess the likely immediate effects of two different forms of abuse on the health and
wellbeing of adults.
D1: Evaluate the potential long term effects of these two types of abuse on the health and
wellbeing of adults.
Sexual Abuse
The disturbance that ensues after sexual assault/ rape may reveal itself instantly after the event or,
typically, a period of time after the event. Short-term effects that may be experienced by a rape or
sexual assault survivor could be as follows;
Shame
Survivors of sexual assault or rape may believe that they are unclean, permanently flawed or bad.
Boundaries
Many survivors are unsure about their personal boundaries or that they possess the right to have
them. A lot of survivors require support in practising and progressing boundaries.
Isolation
Isolation is an extensive issue regarding adult survivors of rape or sexual assault. A majority of
survivors feel they are unworthy of support and that other people will not want relationships with
them. In some parts of the world sexual assault survivors do not voice their ordeals in fear of have
judgement brought upon themselves and their family, with many being rejected from their own
communities.
Minimizing
Some sexual abuse and rape survivors will minimize their ordeal believing that their experience was
not as severe as another person’s. This is a coping mechanism. Rape and sexual assault councillors
must authenticate the impact of the situation and inform the survivor that it is completely fitting
that they be distressed, distraught and wounded from it.
Guilt
Survivors often feel as though the rape or sexual assault was their doing. It is challenging for
survivors to see that the offender is the one to blame. A majority of the time the offender was an
individual they knew intimately and they feel they want to protect them. It could be that if they did
blame the abuser they begin to feel the vulnerability of the situation.
Amnesia
A rape or sexual assault survivor may be unable to recall the event due to different forms of
amnesia. Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a confusion occurring immediately after a traumatic event.
There are two forms of PTA; retrograde amnesia (a loss of memory from shortly before the event),
and anterograde amnesia (issues with forming new memories after the traumatic event).
Physical
Some survivors of sexual abuse may have somatic complaints, difficulty in concentrating, eating
disturbances, and anxiety or physical signs of abuse on the body after the assault such as anal or
vaginal bleeding.
Denial
Some survivors may be in denial or what happened and supress the emotions that are typically felt
after a sexual assault. Survivors in denial may use phrases such as “I’m fine” or “It wasn’t that bad”.
Emotional
Some survivors of sexual abuse may become very expressive in their emotions for example sadness
and anger. They may also become disoriented for example denial or disbelief, or they may become
controlled for example calm and distant. Emotionally survivors may also experience some form of
depression which could lead to substance abuse or suicide attempts if really severe.
Safety
Sexual assault victims may have unrealistic views regarding their safety, perceiving unsafe situations
as safe, and viewing safe situations as unsafe. Ensuring the safety of a sexual assault survivor is
extremely important, this could be asking questions such as “Is anyone hurting you?” for example.
