According to the United States’ Uniformed Crime Report (UCR), rape has been redefined as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim”. This definition is inclusive because it speaks to the rape of men/boys and women, although rape largely is enacted towards women/girls.
The definition also ceases the understanding that rape is only rape when there’s penile/vaginal penetration; inserting objects into people’s body parts without their permission is also rape, because rape is traumatic for the affected individuals irrespective of the methods used. In the Namibian context, according to the Combating of Rape Act of 2000, the new law defines rape as the “intentional commission of a sexual act under coercive circumstances” – meaning force is applied to rape people.
American statistics indicate that a woman is raped every 68 minutes, one out of six women are likely to experience rape in their lifetime, whilst one out of 33 men experienced completed rape of attempted rape. The research further indicates from 2013 to 2019, 63 000 children were rape yearly, with 34% of those children being under the age of 12. According to South African media outlet News 24, about 10 818 people were raped in the first three months of this year and most of these offences were committed towards children and women.
In Namibia, rape is rampant as women and children continue to feel unsafe. According to statistics provided by the Namibian police as published in the Namibian newspaper of 14 June 2022, a total of 450 rape cases were reported between January and April; showing an increase from 700 rape cases reported between January and August last year. The common thread between these contexts is that in most cases, the perpetrators are known to the survivors/complainants. They’re either uncles, fathers, brothers, partners, neighbours, friends and colleagues. Of the 10 818 rape incidents in South Africa, 4 653 cases took place either at the homes of the survivors or the perpetrators, implying that there was familiarity/relation among the parties.
Although rape has physiological implications such as bodily harm, contracting diseases or in some instances leads to pregnancies, it’s crucial to highlight the mental harm that survivors endure, which sometimes is a lifelong struggle. Some of the common emotional challenges survivors experience are self-blame, feelings of guilt and shame, mostly self-directed anger but also towards the perpetrators, distrust, living with fear – fear that it might happen again. In addition, survivors may experience flashbacks of the event, suicidal ideations or engage in substance use.
Research indicates that females who experienced raped are likely to engage in substance use compared to those who are not raped. Rape survivors are also likely to be diagnosed with mental disorders, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, sleep disorders, dissociative disorders, conversion disorder and borderline personality disorders. Of note, these disorders manifest as a result of the trauma experienced by the individuals, and sometimes it’s a form of coping as its often difficult for rape survivors to express their emotional pain. Usually, any unprocessed or unexpressed traumatic experiences lead to mental health conditions.
Know that “the only person who gets to decide if something was traumatic, is the person who experienced the event”. Therefore, do not invalidate people’s experiences. If you or someone you know is affected, seek support, you’re not alone even when it feels like it.
* Justine /Oaes (Clinical Psychologist Intern) oaesjustine@gmail