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Argumentative Essay: The Role Of Sexual Assault In America

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In the 2009 hit “Blame It (On the Alcohol),” Jamie Foxx sings, “I hear you saying what ya won’t do/But you know we probably goin’ do/What you been feigning deep inside… Fill another cup up… You don’t even care now.” The first verse continues. Then, the chorus comes and goes. Ninety seconds of the song has passed. The chances are that in the short window of time in which the lyrics detailing an occurrence of nonconsensual sexual acts play, someone in America has been sexually assaulted. On average, there is a sexual assault in America every ninety-eight seconds (“Scope of the Problem: Statistics”). Legally, the United States Department of Justice defines sexual assault as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit …show more content…

In fact, considering the fact that much of the information young people know about sexual assault comes from word of mouth, there is a large amount of misinformation when it comes to sex-based violence. When being given tips on how to avoid being sexually assaulted, one may cite that individuals should not walk alone at night or they should only accept drinks at a party from people they trust. Although these are pieces of advice that should be kept in mind, they do not sufficiently address the threat of sexual assault. Based on the commonly discussed ways to keep away from sex-based crimes, one would likely expect the most common perpetrator of sexual assaults to be a stranger. However, that is a misconception. In actuality, a survey run by the University of Michigan reported, “Only five-and-a-half percent of students reported no prior relationship or did not know the perpetrator” (“Sexual Assault Misconceptions”). Information such as the victim knows the assailant in eighty percent of rape cases and approximately half of all sexual assaults are carried out in or near the victim’s house is important for the public to know (“Facts About Sexual Violence;” “Scope of the Problem: Statistics”). Removing misconceptions about sex-based crimes by educating those who are approaching the target age of sexual assault (those that are eighteen to …show more content…

Sex-based crimes can affect the victim both physically and mentally. According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic pain, gynecological complications, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and cervical cancer are among a few of the long-term consequences that can result from sexual violence. The psychological effects of sexual violence on young adults have the potential to be just as damaging or even more harmful than the physical effects. In a study of how adolescents reacted to rape, it was found that survivors of sexual assaults were more likely to experience depression, attempt suicide, and fall into unhealthy eating patterns as a result of eating disorders (Kaufman). Dr. Kaufman, a medical doctor that sits on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Adolescence, discussed how long term the effects of sexual violence can be on young adults. She noted that for days and weeks after an attack, the victim might experience rape trauma syndrome. Experiencing the syndrome would cause survivors to feel “disbelief, anxiety, fear, emotion liability, and guilt” in regards to the attack. Kaufman goes on to describe the process that follows the initial stages of reacting to the trauma,

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