Victims of Crime

There are many after-effects of crime that affect a wide range of people who surround the victim, as well as the victim him/herself. Crime (depending of the kind) can be very psychologically crippling. Victims of rape/sexual assaults, survivors of tragedy (surviving an attack (assault), an attempt made on their lives, even a break in) can suffer many debilitating mental issues (in some cases), as well as many other issues that may be unique to them.

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/3-more-sex-assaults-against-young-women-at-ubc-campus-total-now-6-1.1518328

This link is to a news story covering the UBC campus attacks on lone female students at night. The women who have undergone these attacks and the female student population of UBC are suffering all victims of this offenders actions. Rape victims can undergo serious effects of sexual assault, short and long. Some effects are as follows; PTSD, survivors of sexual assaults usually experience feelings of anxiety, stress and fear which can be direct results of the assault. Substance abuse, victims of rape or sexual assault may turn to alcohol or other substances in a fight to relive their emotional suffering. Self harm or injury, which is when a person deliberately inflicts pain onto themselves. Stockholm syndrome is described as a victims "bonding" with their attacker, this can develop subconsciously and on an involuntary basis. Depression is one of the most common effects found in rape/sexual assault victims. They can develop sleeping disorders as well as eating disorders. These victims can use food and the control of food as an attempt to cope with their negative feelings and emotions. Body memories happen when the stress of the memories of the attack takes form in physical problems that if the assault was not known would otherwise be hard to explain. Flashbacks of the past trauma feel as if they are taking place all over again in that very minute. 

In Criminology class on Friday we watched a Special Victims Unit episode that showed the effects, short and long on a rape victim. The victim in this episode without a doubt had most of these effecting her life and because of that was going to extreme circumstances of safety such as sleeping with running shoes on and buying some form of protection ex, a gun. She also experienced troubles sleeping at night and then all together because the fear of the attack and the flashes whenever she closed her eyes. 

I think rape and other sexual assaults are probably one of the most traumatizing forms of crime. They make the victim feel like if one person could do it before what would stop someone else or that individual from doing it again. They feel on edge and extremely alert at all times of the day. 

When recovering from a sexual assault it can become a complicated and controversial concept. Some people believe that with counseling and time you can recover completely from a sexual assault. Others see that some aspect of a sexual assault will be with the victim of the assault forever. Some argue that recovery is the wrong term because it is associated with illness or disease and that the effects of a sexual assault should not be viewed in such a manner. But all the recovery decisions must be made by the victim and for most there are many different routes of recovery that can be taken. 

I think some things that society could do as a whole to try and prevent sexual assault as well as help victims of attacks would be to educate more on the issue. Educate on ways and precautions that at risk age groups could go about avoiding attacks. Maybe try to even teach potential victims what they should do before, during and after an attack. 

Sexual assaults are very personal and psychological crimes that effect every aspect of a victims life.