Healing the Wounds of Trauma

• They may have injured sexual organs or other internal organs. As victims struggle to stop the rape, they may break bones or suffer other injuries. They could get HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases. Women may become pregnant and may want to abort the baby. These things could lead to sterility. • They may be unable to trust God to protect them in the future. • They may think demons have possessed them. B. How does rape affect the victim’s marriage and family? If the rape was done by a stranger, the family and community may be compassionate toward the victim. If they witnessed the rape, they may feel as violated as the victim. If victims do not tell their familymembers, they will not be able to understand why they are sad and angry. Spouses may not understand why having sex is so difficult now. If the rape was done by someone the family members know and the victim tells themabout it, theymight not want to admit that their father, uncle, brother, or pastor has done this bad thing. They may be afraid to accuse the rapist, especially if he is a respected member of the family or community. To keep the peace, they may deny that it happened and tell the person he or she is lying. Or, if they believe that it happened, they might blame the victim for flirting with the rapist, and theymay punish himor her. Or theymay plan how to take revenge. In any case, rape will cause serious problems in the person’s marriage and family. If a woman is raped, her husband is especially affected. He may fear getting a sexually transmitted disease. He may feel his wife is now polluted, and he may no longer want to be with her. When this happens, it adds to her feelings of shame and isolation. C. How does rape affect the rapist? Some rapists feel proud of what they have done, but the violence they do to others also kills something inside them. Those who are Christians may feel very guilty and ashamed. They will be even more afraid than the victim to tell what they did. They

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How Can We Help Someone Who Has Been Raped?