28/11/2020
TOPIC: DEALING WITH R**E
WRITER: IRENE OKORO
While a murderer destroys the physical frame of a human, a ra**st violates and defiles the body, soul, and mind of the helpless victim."
S*xual violence Is a global health issue that happens predominately to women and girls. Men and boys are not left out as well.
According to the national demographic health survey carried out In 2014 on violence against children and adolescents, 24.8 percent In Nigeria experience s*xual abuse before age 18. In recent times, r**e Incidents have increased manifold. Women are most likely to experience r**e every hour.
It is not uncommon for r**e to go unreported. For every one act of r**e reported In six others, the survivors and families of the remaining five stay silent. The reason is that we tend to embrace the r**e culture environment where the society blames the victims of s*xual assault and normalizes the prevalence of s*xual violence by accepting, justifying, and misinterpreting r**e as s*x with consent. Hence, we unconsciously limit the severity of this horrifying and Invasive crime. This custom allows the victims to live in fear of stigmatization, self-blame, police extortion, and a lack of trust In the judicial process.
As a Nigerian University student, I have come to realize that many young people are not clear about what constitutes r**e. R**e Is defined In most jurisdictions as "s*xual in*******se or other forms of s*xual pe*******on committed by a perpetrator against a victim's consent. The assumption that a victim gives her consent because she was restricted physically or psychologically Is problematic as "Impelled palsy" has been proven to be a method for the psychological or physiological strategy for s*xual assault to occur.
Many questions have been asked about the reason for the continued prevalence of r**e. Different ra**st indeed commits r**e for different reasons. Some report shows that r**e occurs as a result of Indecent dressing, wrong location, and a specific time of movement. The report also proves that perpetrators commit s*xual assault to seek revenge on victims. Either way, the choice of clothing should never be an Invitation to r**e but It is caused by the perpetrator's decision to defile the victim's body. However, we may blame the country's laxity of law against ra**sts which can hinder the safety and security of women, girls, and children.
We cannot overemphasize the dehumanizing and traumatic effect of r**e. Most r**e victims struggle with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), depression, social withdrawal, Insomnia, and emotional numbness.
Recovering from s*xual assault can be a long and difficult process. Survivors should seek medical attention. Support groups have also been proven to be useful and effective In providing counseling while sharing coping strategies and similar experiences which will not only help the victims recover, but will eventually motivate them to move forward. Also, the presence of families and friends Is Important In providing moral support for victims as the long-term effects of r**e are particularly articulated when the victim Is shunned. Further research suggests that the reception a victim gets the first time she discloses her attack can shape her experience of trauma. Parents and guidance should acquire emotional Intelligence skills In handling r**e issues especially In the case of statutory r**e that exists when the victim Is too young to legally give consent to s*x. It is most likely to occur In children. This calls for parents and guidance attention on their children and the Introduction of s*x education should be implemented to expose the teenager's knowledge on the breach between r**e and s*x with consent.
Public awareness campaigns by support groups, religious gatherings, schools, and media can enable society to accept and practice the "don't r**e" Instead of the "don't get r**ed" culture. This will effectively stamp down stigmatization and discrimination.
The authorities and judicial bodies also have a significant contribution In ensuring that victim's lives are secured while the perpetrators are brought to justice and persecuted according to the law.
In conclusion, I believe that the positive change we seek begins with us. Everyone has a major role to play In promoting peace, security, and prosperity for all. This can only be achieved If there is unity among us, and we follow the preventive measures as the issue of r**e can be prevented.
