Marital Rape

By 1993, marital rape became a crime in all 50 states. Researchers estimate that between 10% and 14% of married women experience rape in marriage. Rape in marriage is a form of sexual violence that is used to coerce, dominate and control a person.
Forced sexual contact is not a marital obligation. It is a crime.
Marital rape can be generalized into three types:

· Forced-only rape: Husbands use only the amount of verbal or physical force necessary to coerce their wives into sexual acts that are humiliating, controlling and abusive.
· Battering rape: Husbands rape and batter their wives. The battering may happen concurrently, before, or after the sexual assault.
· Sadistic/obsessive rape: Husbands torture or force their wives to perform perverse sexual acts. Pornography is often involved.

Women are at particularly high risk for being raped by their partners under the following circumstances:

· Women married to domineering men who view them as “property”
· Women who are in physically violent relationships
· Women who are pregnant
· Women who are ill or recovering from surgery
· Women who are separated or divorced

Sexual assault is always a frightening experience but for women who are raped by their husbands, their sense of fear and betrayal is particularly traumatizing. Psychological effects of marital rape may be long lasting, even if there is no physical trauma or the physical trauma has healed.

· Short-term psychological effects include anxiety, shock, intense fear, flashbacks, nightmares, depression and suicidal ideation.
· Long-term psychological effects include sleeping disorders, eating disorders, depression, negative self-images, intimacy problems and sexual dysfunction.
· Physical effects may include injuries to the vaginal and anal areas, lacerations, soreness, bruising, torn muscles, fatigue and vomiting.
Women who are battered and raped frequently suffer from broken bones, black eyes, bloody noses and knife wounds.

Additional Topics
How do I talk to my child about sexual abuse?
Tools for coping with panic symptoms…
Crime Victim’s Compensation
Marital Rape
What happens when I begin therapy?
If someone you know has been raped…
General guidelines for helping:
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