Rape Trauma Syndrome
Survivors of sexual violence can suffer a significant degree of physical and emotional trauma during the rape, immediately following the rape, and over a considerable time period after the rape. This phenomenon is known as Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS). RTS is a form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the same symptoms occur with other forms of sexual violence as do with rape. The severity of sexual violence is not determined by the aggressor, but by a survivor's reaction to the event.
Rape Trauma Syndrome was initially identified by researchers Ann Burgess and Lynda Holstrom in the 1970s, the process of RTS was elaborated and the following phases were identified by Mary Koss and Mary Harvey in 1987.
Rape Trauma Syndrome has four phases:
- Anticipatory phase: immediately before assault, awareness of danger, "uh-oh" feeling, quick assessment of situation, possible disassociation...
- Impact: during and immediately after the assault, victims may do things that do not seem to "make sense" to themselves or others.
- Survivors describe an extremely wide range of emotions in the immediate hours following the rape.
- Two main styles of emotion are shown by the victims:
- Expressed: victims demonstrate such feelings as anger, fear, anxiety
- Controlled: feelings of the victim are masked or hidden (actually more common)
- Reconstitution: the longest phase, can last for years. Reconstitution is divided into three sub-stages:
- denial: a very natural coping mechanism
- symptom formation: physical symptoms, nightmares, flashbacks, triggers, things that force the victim to think about the assault
- anger : also plenty of hopelessness, shame, despair, depression, a sense of mourning/loss. A painful, but cathartic phase. It is during this stage that survivors begin to realize the impact the assault has had on their lives. They may either use anger as a springboard for more intensive healing (calling a rape crisis center, support groups, counseling) or they may focus the rage on themselves, internalizing it and utilizing maladaptive behaviors to deal with their pain (suicide, self-mutilation, drug abuse, etc.). If the survivor manifests the latter option, the anger should be refocused appropriately (on external circumstances rather than on self-blame).
- Resolution: survivor gets to a place where the memory of assault doesn't trip her/him up anymore, she/he has coping mechanisms in place to handle it. Resolution is the assimilation of the violence into the person's overall life experiences.
Going from phase to phase is not linear, it is fluid. Healing does not happen in a straight line; a person can move from one stage "backward" to another and then "forward" again.
Throughout all phases of RTS, a survivor may experience a wide variety of physical, emotional and psychological reactions to the assault.
Physical Lifestyle
Physical symptoms resulting from rape trauma can include:
- Vaginal/ rectal problems
- For women, changes in menstrual cycle and functioning
- For women, other gynecological and menstrual problems
- Problems with normal bowel movements after anal assaults
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Genital/urinary difficulties
- Gastrointestinal upset
- General malaise
- Eating or sleeping pattern disruption
Psychological Lifestyle
- Dreams and nightmares, either of the actual assault recurring, or related, violent dreams not of the actual assault
- Phobias, usually specific to the circumstances of the rape, including fear of crowds, of being alone, or of characteristics of the assailant
- Paranoia, or fear of everyone
Social Lifestyle
Effects on the survivor's life can include:
- Inability to resume more than a minimum level of social functioning (e.g., only going to work or school)
- Staying home, or only going outside accompanied by someone
- Seeking more support from family, with or without disclosing the assault
- Moving
- Changing the telephone number, or getting an unlisted number
Sexual Lifestyle
- Fear of sex. Survivors for whom the assault was their only sexual experience may be afraid that sex will be like the assault. Sexually active victims may be afraid of or have difficulty continuing to have sex with their partner. Other survivors may be afraid of or have difficulty starting new relationships.
- Fear of physical contact, such as hugging
- Lack of desire
Compounded Reactions
Previous or current problems stemming from psychiatric conditions, physical conditions, or behavior patterns can compound reactions to rape. Survivors can be more vulnerable to having a compounded reaction if they have had previous psychiatric symptoms, little access to a “social support” network, or simultaneous problems in other areas of their life (e.g., family, financial or alcohol problems).
