Sexual Assaults: Types of Assaults, the Impact on Victims, and Trauma-Informed Services

1. Sexual Assaults: Types of Assaults, the Impact on Victims, and Trauma-Informed Services “Know How to Help—Campus Response Training” Conference Offered by the University of South Carolina’s Student Health Services April, 2013 Connie Best, Ph.D. Angie Moreland, Ph.D. National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina

2. What Do We Need to Know About Sexual Assault in College Populations? • Types of assaults • Scope of the problem • Long and short term effects on victims • Trauma-informed care options • The role that all of us can play

3. Sexual Assault is a Serious Criminal Offense Any prevention program should continue to stress that sexual assault is a serious criminal offense. Any response program should consider sexual assault as a serious criminal offense. Sexual assault is not “students being students,” or “boys being boys,” and it is a big deal—it is a criminal offense.

4. Drug-facilitated, Incapacitated, and Forcible Rape: A National Study Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D. Distinguished University Professor and Director, National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina Funded by: The National Institute of Justice, #2005-WG-BX-0006 Other contributors: Heidi Resnick, PhD., Kenneth Ruggiero, PhD, Lauren Conoscetti, MA, and Jenna McCauley, MA

5. Types of Sexual Assaults Forcible Rape • Unwanted sexual act involving oral, anal, or vaginal penetration; • Used force or threat of force; • May have drug and alcohol facilitated rape or incapacitated rape; • Constitutes 1st or 2nd degree criminal conduct in SC

6. Drug or Alcohol-Facilitated Rape (DAFR) • Unwanted sexual act involving oral, anal, or vaginal penetration; • Perception by the victim that perpetrator deliberately gave her/him drugs without permission and/or tried to get her/him drunk; • Victim was passed out or awake but too drunk or high to know what she was doing or to control her behavior; • Constitutes 1st degree criminal sexual conduct

7. Incapacitated Rape (IR) • Unwanted sexual act involving oral, anal, or vaginal penetration; • Drug or alcohol use was exclusively voluntary on the victim’s part; • Victim was passed out or awake but too drunk or high to know what she was doing or to control her behavior; • Constitutes 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct

8. Figure 1. Lifetime Prevalence of Rape in the U.S. Population of College Women *based on U.S. Census 2005 estimates of 5,853,000 women enrolled full time in undergraduate colleges

9. Figure 2. Estimated Annual Prevalence of Rape in the U.S. Population of College Women Average number of months was 6.87 which was used in actual estimates.

10. Figure 3. Perception of the Incident

11. Figure 5. Percentage Reporting to Police

12. Summary of the Current State of Affairs • Almost one out of eight college women have been victims of completed rape sometime during their lives, and more than one out of 20 were raped in the past year. • Many rapes involve alcohol and/or drug use by the victim, the perpetrator, or both. • Rape increases risk of PTSD, depression, and binge drinking, and the high current prevalence of these problems suggests that victims are not getting effective mental health treatment. • The vast majority of rapes are never reported.

13. Common Victim Reactions: Short Term • High levels of emotional distress • Fearful, terrified, shocked • Feeling of unreality; this can’t be happening • High levels of physiological arousal • Emotional “shutting down” for some victims • Difficulty concentrating, sleeping, focusing • Irritability

14. Common Victim Reactions: Long Term • Avoidance of reminders of the event; avoids talking about it or thinking about it • Increased high levels of fear and anxiety • Feelings of depression and self-blame • Continued difficulties with sleep, irritability, and concentration • May start to withdraw from friends, activities, work, or school activities • Increased alcohol/drug use by some victims

15. Victim concerns following victimization

16. Trauma-Informed Services It’s a good news, bad news, type of story……. The Bad News: The majority of victims don’t seek mental health services. (and the other bad news……many therapists use ineffective treatments)

17. The Good News: There are two therapies that are highly effective. They are: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)developed by Dr. Patricia Resick and Prolonged Exposure (PE) developed by Dr. Edna Foa.

18. A word to mental health therapists If you don’t know how to deliver these treatments, LEARN!! We should never be too old, too young, too set in our professional ways to learn effective, evidence-based treatments.

19. The Role That All of Us Can Play • Beinformed about sexual assault: know the real facts about the issues • Speak up: stand up and say the right thing in any discussion, meeting, or conversation and don’t quietly allow someone who is ill-informed to make incorrect statements • Be Active: participate in prevention and response efforts on your campus • Support victims: any way, any where, any how—there are so many opportunities—take them

20. Take Home Points • Sexual assault is a criminal offense • There are many types of rape including Drug/Alcohol Facilitated and Incapacitated • Rape is common among college students (1 in 8 students have been raped) • Negative short- and long-term reactions • Most students don’t report to the police • There are many things you can do to help!

21. Questions and Concerns National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center Connie Best, Ph.D. bestcl@musc.edu Angela Moreland, Ph.D. begle@musc.edu