Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Sexual assault happens when a victim endures forced sexual contact by someone else, that is unwanted and not consented to. Such abuse can happen to any person regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or other status. Sexual assault crimes can include molestation, intercourse, attempted rape, inappropriate touching, and more. This type of mistreatment can be terribly traumatizing for the victim, as harmful acts of a sexual nature are invasive to the most vulnerable parts of our body.

Those who have been impacted by sexual assault, should consider meeting with an sexual assault lawyer VA offers immediately. We understand it may be difficult to talk about what happened, but please remember that they are there to help you seek justice from the perpetrator for such cruel behavior.

Why Victims Wait to Come Forward

Victims of sexual assault may not tell anyone about the incident for years, out of fear that others will not believe them. There may be a mixture of emotions and coping behaviors that prevent a victim from bringing the abuse to light. Here are a few common reasons why victims refrain from sharing their story:

• Shame: those who were sexually violated may feel shame surrounding the incident, as abuse is invasive and dehumanizing. This feeling of shame may lead a victim to falsely blaming themselves for the abuse happening at all.
• Minimization: many of those who faced sexual assault may start to trick themselves into believing the act what not actually abusive. A victim may try to downplay the incident in their mind as a way to cope.
• Fear: those who have been abused sexually may fear potential consequences, such as losing their job, facing future assault, being scrutinized by those they tell, or otherwise punished.

Effects of Sexual Assault

Victims of sexual assault can have emotional, physical and mental symptoms after enduring such abuse. The victim may experience depression, flashbacks, dissociation, anxiety, trouble sleeping, and many more. If you or someone you love suffered from sexual assault, please know that you are not alone and there is support available.

Sexual Assault Statistics

Every year, on average 300,000 people become victims of sexual assault and rape in the United States. Additionally, it is estimated that about every minute, a victim suffers from an act of sexual assault. We are often exposed to adult sexual themes on television, in movies, through the media, and even jokes around the office. One of the ways that prevalence of sexual assault can be fought against, is to change the perspective of this behavior in everyday culture.

 

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Thank you to our friends and contributors at Cohen & Cohen, P.C. for their insight into personal injury cases and sexual assault.