Rape Trauma Syndrome

Rape Trauma Syndrome was first introduced through a study completed by Ann Burgess and Lynda Holmstrom in 1973.  They discovered that rape trauma syndrome could be used to define the reaction to rape.

Phase I:

This phase is experienced during the attack
Victim is unsure of what is happening; stunned or shocked
Victim can become paralyzed by fear and/or pain
Dissociation can occur

Phase II:  Acute Phase
Occurs after the assault takes place
Victim is in a state of shock and disbelief
Victim could comply with assailant’s demands; such as driving an assailant home
Common that victim may not tell anyone about the attack
Victim may be able to go to places he/she usually frequents
Victim may isolate him/herself or may see danger around every corner
Victim may re-experience the attack in the form of nightmares or flashbacks
Victim could experience, physical illness, such as stomachaches, headaches or body pains
Feelings of numbness, dissociation or loss of memory regarding the event

Phase III: Outward Adjustment
Victim may want to drop out of counseling or stop pursuing legal action in order to put the assault behind him/her
May try to convince others that the assault no longer affects him/her
Stress could re-trigger the thoughts and emotions of Phase II

Phase IV:  Resolution or Integration Phase
Victim will process the trauma from the sexual assault and begin to integrate the experience in to his or her life
The victim becomes a “survivor.” The victim realizes the assault is a part of him/her but is not the essence of who he/she is. A survivor understands that he/she is not responsible for the assault
Survivor has learned how to manage the physical and emotional symptoms from the earlier phases

Celebrating 21 years of providing hope and healing to survivors of sexual violence.