Resistance would get the victim physically hurt even more. The worse part is when the child talk to her mother and finds that her mother does not believe her and sides with her father or the male being questioned. Some mothers may be frightened of the man that they do not interfere, even when they know that their daughters are being sexually abused.
The effects of incest may be considerable. If the female is a young girl or a teenager she may do poorly at school. She may daydream and be withdrawn, or she may act out, seeking attention. Often she finds it difficult to develop a close relationship with another girl or teenager. As she reaches late adolescence and becomes an adult she may have sexual problems. She may be repelled by sexual intercourse or may submit but not enjoy sex, because of her experiences when she was younger. She may be disturbed psychologically, being depressed or anxious and unable to relate to anyone. If she feels that she is able to talk openly to someone about the incest, she may benefit from counseling, which might be needed for a long period of time.
A major problem is that many people do not believe children and young teenagers when they say that a family member has sexually assaulted them. Children and young teenagers who say they have been sexually assaulted should always be believed. This is particularly true of young children who tell of sexual interference. They rarely would make up such a story simply because they usually do not have the knowledge or experience to imagine such a story. If older people believe a young person when she complains of incest, it will help to reduce the frequency of incest.
It is difficult to reduce the incidence of incest as in most cases the abuser has so much power over the victim that she or he is afraid of telling anyone about the abuse. The situation might be helped if incest were talked about more openly and if society admitted that it was not uncommon. Information could be made in schools, as part of a personal development programme, so that a child or a teenager could feel that they can tell other people if they have been sexually interfered with or assaulted. They should be made aware that if they are not believed, they should be persisting on till they receive help!
Now, we shall go on to the second group-rape. Rape occurs when one person forces another to have sexual intercourse. At the time of the assault, the person is forced against their will. In many circumstances, the rapist is usually a man and the victim is usually a woman. But the rape of males by males is not unusual.
A rapist has a contempt for women. He treats the woman as an object, not as a person. Society lets men believe that they are sexual predators, or that they are sex experts. Society lets men believe that most really want sex but are too shy to ask. A rapist sees himself as a tiger or a wolf and his victim as his prey – a chicken, a bird or a lamb.
Many rapists are insecure in their relationships with other people. Causing pain excites them. They are stimulated by the feeling of power and by being able to humiliate the woman. One rapist has said: ‘ I despise a woman who gives in to men; and hate her if she doesn’t’.
There are many myths about rape, and some of these are listed below.
Myths about rape
Rape is a humiliating, a degrading and sometimes a terrifying experience. A rapist may bruise or scratch his victim, or hurt her genitals or her mouth. Even if she has no physical damage, she is usually, but not always, hurt emotionally.
Women cope with being raped in many different ways. Some women feel dirty. Some women feel ashamed. Some women become depressed, cry a lot, are unable to sleep, or cope by trying to forget the rape, be eliminating the rape from their thoughts; others want to talk incessantly about the ape. If the disturbing, negative feelings persist over a period of time, the woman transmitted disease, or that she will get over the rape.
Women do get over rape. Recovery from the effects of being rapid is quicker and easier if, as soon as possible after being raped, you can have someone you can talk to: someone you like and respect, someone who will be supportive, who believes your story and who treats you as a human being.
