Rape is something many people have heard about but few actually understand. Yes it is common knowledge that the definition of rape is sexual intercourse in which one of the participants was involuntary and forced, but few can gather what side effects might surface after such a traumatizing event. Rape and other forms of sexual abuse are more common than the average person may think. In fact there are “about 635,000 sex offenders currently registered in the U.S.” (Booth 186). This number represents only those registered not to mention the ones that never actually got turned in. With such a high number it wouldn’t be uncommon to find that someone you know or even yourself would be a victim of sexual abuse or perhaps even rape itself. “There are three things that everyone who has been raped sho9uld do, though
1.
Know that the rape wasn’t your fault.
2.
Seek medical care.
3.
Deal with your feelings” (kingsley 1).
Many rape victims have trouble carrying out these, what might seem to others as simple, tasks. Many don’t realize however, “it can be hard to think or talk about a frightening experience, especially something as personal as rape” (kingsley 1). The victim of rape most always sees the incident as life altering where as “most sex offenders believe that their victims enticed the crime and didn’t suffer any damage” (Booth 188). This may sound absurd and unrealistic to those that have dealt with rape or any other form of sexual abuse but it is in these impractical minds where we could possibly find what motive these villains may have had. “Most people picture a sex offender as an evil, creepy, maladjusted stranger. That couldn’t be further from the truth… 90 percent of victims know their abusers” (Booth 188). So if a sex offender or more specifically a rapist looks like an ordinary person how do you pick them out from the crowd? The truth is normally you can’t. Studies have found few connections between rapists or sex offenders except for their need to control, however, “some research indicates that about 30 percent of sex offenders were sexually assaulted as kids” (Booth 189). Though this information may be useful for some you can’t exactly go around and ask everyone you meet if they were abused in their past, and then if they were, judge them solely on that fact alone. Every person just has to know that if they are raped or sexually assaulted they are not alone, and there are many people, and organizations willing to help them. For more information on rape recovery and support please call 1-800-656-HOPE.