Hello all,
I saw something that made me think about this then I looked to see what information there was on the web. You almost never hear about this, and I can't think of any case where I have. But, it turns out men and women are the same in more ways than we realize. So, what do you think?
http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=8&compID=95
Violence and Abuse
Woman-Woman Rape
I kept it to myself because it was an embarrassing thing: I was bigger than she was....When people hear about rape, they think of a man raping a woman. It's hard to envision one woman raping another.
Although the majority of rapes are committed by men, women can and do rape.1 As with sexual assaults committed by men, the perpetrator may be a partner, an acquaintance, or a stranger, and it can happen to any woman, regardless of her sexual orientation.
last summer i was raped by a butch i met from a website. we had been talking online for months…i went to see hym….one thing led to another, and i ended up in the hospital having surgery to repair a 3 inch tear inside my vagina. hy fisted me, with no glove and no lube, the way one would put their hand through a wall.
The experiences of women who are sexually assaulted by other women are not widely enough known or discussed. This silence makes it harder for those of us who are sexually assaulted by women to get appropriate health care and support. Service providers, media, educators, and assault survivors can help end this silence by talking more openly about this abuse.
Legally, definitions of rape and sexual assault differ from state to state. Some states define rape as an act perpetrated by a man against a woman. Others use an inclusive definition of sexual assault that does not state the sex of the victim or perpetrator and that lists a range of behaviors such as penetration by object, fingers, or penis.
Because of the widespread ignorance and denial surrounding sexual assault of women by women, those of us who are abused by other women may experience a different sort of shock than women who are raped by men. We also may feel that no one will believe us, and therefore be reluctant to seek help.
The next summer I reread my journal, and still remembered the parts that I had erased, hoping it would go away. It hit me that what had happened was rape. I was furious as all hell.
If we are raped by a woman and are not lesbian or bisexual, we may fear that people will assume we are gay. Those of us who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) and are raped by a partner or acquaintance are often even more reluctant to use the court system. Fear of homophobia and transphobia, having to be “out” in court, and a history of bad relations with police keep many LGBT individuals away from seeking legal redress.
Women who are sexually assaulted by women experience the same short-term and long-term emotional consequences of the assault as women who are assaulted by men. These may include post-traumatic stress symptoms of fear, trouble sleeping, nightmares, dissociation, anxiety, and sexual problems. Sexual violence may also lead to difficulty trusting others, needing time off from work, inability to concentrate, and a host of other stress-related consequences.
Because society does not widely recognize female-perpetrated sexual assault, women who experience it are less likely to call crisis lines or go to therapists immediately after the assault.
I had never heard of women doing that, so it just didn't fit into my reality.
If the sexual violence occurs within the context of an abusive relationship, the other forms of abuse may be acknowledged long before the sexual abuse is. The reluctance to talk about it and the difficulty framing this abuse as rape buries this form of abuse. If a woman gets a restraining order against her female partner, it will usually be for other forms of violence, not the sexual violence.
Denial that we have experienced rape also can mean that women do not seek medical treatment when we need it after an assault. Some women may not be honest about how we sustained our injuries. Transwomen are especially unlikely to seek medical care due to concerns about how we will be treated by health care providers.
Being sexually assaulted by another woman, whether a partner, acquaintance, or stranger, often causes feelings of betrayal, confusion, isolation, and self-doubt. This form of abuse must be acknowledged so that we can get the support and assistance we deserve and need.
Sadly,
Merlot
I saw something that made me think about this then I looked to see what information there was on the web. You almost never hear about this, and I can't think of any case where I have. But, it turns out men and women are the same in more ways than we realize. So, what do you think?
http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=8&compID=95
Violence and Abuse
Woman-Woman Rape
I kept it to myself because it was an embarrassing thing: I was bigger than she was....When people hear about rape, they think of a man raping a woman. It's hard to envision one woman raping another.
Although the majority of rapes are committed by men, women can and do rape.1 As with sexual assaults committed by men, the perpetrator may be a partner, an acquaintance, or a stranger, and it can happen to any woman, regardless of her sexual orientation.
last summer i was raped by a butch i met from a website. we had been talking online for months…i went to see hym….one thing led to another, and i ended up in the hospital having surgery to repair a 3 inch tear inside my vagina. hy fisted me, with no glove and no lube, the way one would put their hand through a wall.
The experiences of women who are sexually assaulted by other women are not widely enough known or discussed. This silence makes it harder for those of us who are sexually assaulted by women to get appropriate health care and support. Service providers, media, educators, and assault survivors can help end this silence by talking more openly about this abuse.
Legally, definitions of rape and sexual assault differ from state to state. Some states define rape as an act perpetrated by a man against a woman. Others use an inclusive definition of sexual assault that does not state the sex of the victim or perpetrator and that lists a range of behaviors such as penetration by object, fingers, or penis.
Because of the widespread ignorance and denial surrounding sexual assault of women by women, those of us who are abused by other women may experience a different sort of shock than women who are raped by men. We also may feel that no one will believe us, and therefore be reluctant to seek help.
The next summer I reread my journal, and still remembered the parts that I had erased, hoping it would go away. It hit me that what had happened was rape. I was furious as all hell.
If we are raped by a woman and are not lesbian or bisexual, we may fear that people will assume we are gay. Those of us who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) and are raped by a partner or acquaintance are often even more reluctant to use the court system. Fear of homophobia and transphobia, having to be “out” in court, and a history of bad relations with police keep many LGBT individuals away from seeking legal redress.
Women who are sexually assaulted by women experience the same short-term and long-term emotional consequences of the assault as women who are assaulted by men. These may include post-traumatic stress symptoms of fear, trouble sleeping, nightmares, dissociation, anxiety, and sexual problems. Sexual violence may also lead to difficulty trusting others, needing time off from work, inability to concentrate, and a host of other stress-related consequences.
Because society does not widely recognize female-perpetrated sexual assault, women who experience it are less likely to call crisis lines or go to therapists immediately after the assault.
I had never heard of women doing that, so it just didn't fit into my reality.
If the sexual violence occurs within the context of an abusive relationship, the other forms of abuse may be acknowledged long before the sexual abuse is. The reluctance to talk about it and the difficulty framing this abuse as rape buries this form of abuse. If a woman gets a restraining order against her female partner, it will usually be for other forms of violence, not the sexual violence.
Denial that we have experienced rape also can mean that women do not seek medical treatment when we need it after an assault. Some women may not be honest about how we sustained our injuries. Transwomen are especially unlikely to seek medical care due to concerns about how we will be treated by health care providers.
Being sexually assaulted by another woman, whether a partner, acquaintance, or stranger, often causes feelings of betrayal, confusion, isolation, and self-doubt. This form of abuse must be acknowledged so that we can get the support and assistance we deserve and need.
Sadly,
Merlot
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