Sexual abuse is a public health epidemic that has garnered more and more attention from the media in recent years. This is due in part to high
profile incidents such as the Jerry Sandusky case, as well as recent revelations
of significant deficits with how sexual abuse investigations are being handled
in the military, on college campuses, and in our communities. Popular Science recently reprinted an article
entitled What Science Says about Arousal during Rape that brings focus to a topic that is scientifically proven and clinically
recognized, but not often discussed. Sexual abuse is a traumatic event which impacts survivors in a many
ways, and experiencing sexual arousal or orgasm during a sexual assault may
cause significant confusion for the victim which can negatively impact healing
and/or contribute to a perpetrator believing that a sexually assaultive
experience was consensual – two important reasons to examine this topic
further.
First, it is worthwhile to ask the question “what exactly is
sexual arousal?” Sexual arousal occurs
in two ways – as a mental state (e.g., emotional, cognitive, fantasy) and as a
physical state (e.g., increased genital blood flow, enhanced tactile sense, endorphin
release). In mutually enjoyable sexual
experiences, sexual arousal typically occurs in both the mental and physical
states simultaneously. However, it is
possible to be mentally aroused without showing any physical indications of
arousal and it is possible to be physically aroused when not experiencing
mental arousal. Arousal states can also
occur in various orders (e.g., mental arousal followed by physical, or vice
versa), as well as shift or change during an experience. Indeed, it is even possible to feel disgusted
by the physical manifestations of arousal when the physical arousal is in
response to distasteful or repugnant sexual stimuli (e.g., becoming physically
aroused by seeing a family member naked, to a violent scenario, etc.).
Experiencing sexual arousal or orgasm during a sexual assault is
likely under-reported and almost never discussed due to the obvious
embarrassment, confusion, and potential response from others – wouldn’t any
type of arousal mean the victim accepted and/or enjoyed the sexual assault? It is a sad reality that society often
engages in victim blaming and frequently responds inappropriately to survivors
of sexual abuse; however, a victim is never
responsible for being targeted and sexually abused by another person – even if
physical arousal may have occurred during the assault. It is an evolutionary fact that genital
arousal (i.e., increased blood flow to the vagina or penis) is linked with our
sympathetic nervous system, which also controls our fight
or flight response. So, for some people when
they are frightened (as would occur during a sexual assault), there is increased
blood flow to the entire body, including the genitals, which may cause genital
(physical, not mental) arousal – and, just like our fight or flight responses,
this physiological response is not within our conscious control. It is important to note that this is true for
both males and females – a male obtaining an erection during a sexual assault
does not mean the male consented to or enjoyed the abuse, simply that his body
experienced an ingrained evolutionary response to physical sexual stimulation.
This information is extremely important for professionals who
work with survivors or perpetrators. Survivors
commonly blame themselves for the abuse they experience and this can extend to
the arousal they experienced against their will. Providing education and information about the
physiological aspects of sexual arousal, primarily that sexual arousal can be
an automatic response such as breathing, pupil dilation, or eye blinking, may
provide context and help survivors heal.
For some sexual abuse perpetrators, indications of sexual
arousal or orgasm experienced by the victim during a sexual assault may be used
as evidence that the sexual assault was consensual and/or as a way to minimize
or rationalize their behavior. Clarifying in treatment that arousal during the assault does not equal
consent or enjoyment can be of assistance for both those who have abused and
been abused alike.
For additional information on the science of sexual arousal, see
Levin, R.J. & van Berlo, W. (2004). Sexual arousal and orgasm in subjects
who experience forced or non-consensual sexual stimulation – a review. Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine, 11,
82-88.
Katie Gotch
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
