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Sexual Assault
Awareness
Sex
is a normal part of our human nature. However, we are aware of deviant
forms of sex, where people are forced, against their will, to have
sexual inter course.
For years our
various communities saw rape as something that happens to other people
or “that” kind of women. In cases where men were subjected to sodomy
against there will, it were called “indecent assault” and the general
reaction was that it is not that bad. After all a man should stand up
and protect himself.
One reality is
that sexual assault can happen to any person: man or women; young or
old. The other reality is that a sexual perpetrator can be a stranger or
a person you trust.
Prevention is
always better than cure and awareness might just save your skin. You can
prevent some compromising situations by being careful about taking rides
alone with strangers or opening doors to strangers.
Beware of
situations in which you feel threatened or not on equal footing with
your companion or any person in your social company. If a person is a
control freak, crude and sexist red lights are flashing. If a person is
set on getting you alone, force you to drink and remove your clothes,
all alarms are sounding.
Should you feel
threatened there is a few options: Leave the person’s company or ask a
friend to help you escape the situation. In severe circumstances, you
can yell for help and resist physically.
It is also a fact that disrespect and violence are
ugly realities that impinge on people’s lives. There are situations
where sexual assault is unexpected, imminent and there seem to be no way
out.
In these situations the most important thing to
remember is that your life is precious. The bravest thing you can do is
to survive.
Part
of surviving is to get the appropriate help to heal. Help would include
medical attention and emotional support. It is necessary to share your
experience, the hurt, anxiety and other feelings, to find a way of
putting the trauma behind you in a peaceful environment.
Author: Barbara Louw, CEO of Inter Trauma Nexus
February 2008
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