Know These Effects If You Have Never Been Raped Nor Defiled

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Rape and defilement has been a very big challenge to the societies not only in our continent but in the world as a whole.

Perpetrators and victims are sometimes hard to prosecute meanwhile, we stay with them. Except for the court, no other institution is given the oversight responsibility to judge such cases.

However, families of victims and perpetrators tend to make rape and defilement cases ‘sit home cases’. Gone were the days where chiefs, priests and opinion leaders tend to settle these cases amicably in the house without recourse to the effects it would have on the victims. While some effects are eternal, others are managed within a short period of time.

There are physical effects, emotional and psychological(mental) effects victims tend to live with sometimes for the rest of their lives. While perpetrators are mostly the rich, opinion leaders, chiefs, pastors, etc, victims have been mostly women, children and the poor.

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Apart from sustaining bruises, getting pregnant, contracting sexually transmitted diseases, most victims also live with fear for men all their life. Victims become helpless especially when fair judgment is denied and also loose their trusts. That not alone, these victims easily get angry and blame people for sometimes crimes not committed.

Mental effects that are also left on the victims include; Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts.

Depression, including prolonged sadness, feelings of hopelessness, unexplained crying, weight loss or gain, loss of energy or interest in activities previously enjoyed are mental effects left for victims of rape.

Moreover, Suicidal thoughts or attempts to commit suicide as well as not feeling present in everyday situations is also an adverse effect of rape and defilement.

Again, a survivor may develop a negative outlook and feel “damaged” or unworthy of a better life. Drug or alcohol abuse may also become an issue as a way to cope with the overwhelming feelings. Women may also have trouble with their menstrual cycle and fertility. In addition, survivors may experience: Chronic fatigue, Shortness of breath, Muscle tension, Involuntary shaking, Changes in eating and sleeping patterns, Sexual dysfunction among others.