Psychologists have supplied evidence to prove the impact a sexual assault has on an individual. According to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), “Sexual assault has a variety of short term and long term effects on a victim’s mental health. Many survivors report flashbacks on their assault and feelings of shame, isolation, shock, confusion and guilt.” It is the trauma that not only affects the victim but their families and the society at large. This trauma then dictates every aspect of the victim’s life. When victims are children the effects are even worse as they affect their development and growth.
One of the important rights enshrined in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the Right to Play. This simply means that every child has a right to socialize with other children their age, and to enjoy themselves. However the act of a sexual assault violates this right in that after the ordeal many children have been seen to lose their interest in playing with other children. The sexual act has in a way forced them to grow up and deal with problems best left to adults. Some children are victimized by their peers because of this and have no courage to associate with them. Some are so depressed that the idea of play is far from their minds and in most African communities the idea of therapy is still unknown and very expensive so these children are left to find themselves again which tragically for most of never ends positively. One victim expressed herself by these words, “Hiding away in my home, I sit by the window and listen to the smiles and laughter of other girls and I realize that life is passing me by; that the years of my youth are diminishing fast. I am so afraid of the world, of being…. This article was culled up from the March 2019 Edition of The PALM, Click here to continue reading.
