We all know that when it comes to sexual relations, consent is mandatory and undebatable. This is a standard black-and-white rule that cannot be bent or altered, and anything besides that is regarded as a crime. Whether the act was conducted violently or not, if there was no unison agreement, that is a straight-up felony.
Now, it may have happened that you found yourself in a situation where you were mentally and emotionally compromised and you were not clearly aware of your surroundings. Your decision-making was blurry and someone took advantage of you at that moment and sexually assaulted you. How do you then know this happened if you were not in the right state of mind?
Several health publications explain the signs that indicate sexual assault.
The Joyful Heart publication understands that not every rape or sexual assault results in obvious wounds however in some cases depending on the violent manner of the experience, “General indicators include bruising, bleeding (vaginal or anal), difficulty walking, soreness, broken or dislocated bones.”
When it comes to emotional and mental signs, Very Well Mind maintains that sexual assault can lead to symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, guilt, depression, and irritability. The publication states that survivors may experience severe and chronic symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including body aches, fatigue, flashbacks, headaches, insomnia, and nightmares.
“Some may experience avoidance, such as avoiding thoughts or feelings of the traumatic event (emotional avoidance); staying away from reminders of the trauma such as people, places, objects, or situations; and resisting conversations about what happened.”
Other PTSD symptoms are mentioned to be in the form of intrusive memories, increased arousal, changes in thoughts and feelings, and recurrent feelings of fear, guilt, shame, and hopelessness.
The Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership website adds that other indicators may include:
- Pregnancy
- Inappropriate knowledge of sex
- Sexualised behaviour in play or with others
- Bed-wetting
- Eating habits changes or eating disorders
- Lack of peer relationships
- Alcohol or drug use
- Anxiety
