Being Raped
I was raped, when I was twelve years old. The man was about twenty-nine or thirty years old at the time. I was in the privacy of my mother’s home. She was at worked. However, the intruder found a way in the house and when I came home he attacked me. He told me if I ever told anyone he would kill me. Although, he did not kill me, but instead he fled before the cops could find him.
This accident burden me for awhile and I took action my own way. I was drinking and smoking at the age of twelve and hanging out with people older than me. By the fall of that 1991, I begin to seek help with the counselor at school. I would tell her my problems and she would find a way to help me out. I became sexual active and for some reason I was having sex just to be doing it.
As a child, I was scared I really didn’t know what to do or what to expect. I acted out the best way I knew how. Keeping all this information bottled up inside of me. I would interact by hanging out with girls older than me, sneaking out of the house and going to parties, and wearing makeup. I would only talk to the counselor at school. My mother tried but at the time it just didn’t feel right talking to her. By the time I became pregnant, I realize that I had someone that needed to look up to me. Being raped and knowing your attacker was hard for me. I didn’t feel I could trust anyone. I feel that way with my children today. I am scared to leave them anywhere because I am scared that they may be abuse or something may happen to them while I am away. Being raped with cause a child to regress and not interact properly.
According to a survey for the period 1998–2000 compiled by the UN, South Africa was ranked first for rapes per capita. The incidence of rape has led to the country being referred to as the "rape capital of the world". One in three of the 4,000 women questioned by the Community of Information, Empowerment and Transparency said they had been raped in the past year. More than 25 per cent of South African men questioned in a survey published by the Medical Research Council (MRC) in June 2009 admitted to rape; of those, nearly half said they had raped more than one person. Three out of four of those who had admitted rape indicated that they had attacked for the first time during their teens. South Africa has amongst the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world.
South Africa has some of the highest incidences of child and baby rape in the world. More than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children were reported in 2000 in South Africa, compared to 37,500 in 1998. Some cite a 400% increase in sexual violence against children in the decade preceding 2002. A third of the cases are committed by a family member or close relative. Child welfare groups believe that the number of unreported incidents could be up to 10 times that number. The largest increase in attacks was against children under seven (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_violence_in_South_Africa).
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A number of high-profile baby rapes appeared since 2001 (including the fact that they required extensive reconstructive surgery to rebuild urinary, genital, abdominal, or tracheal systems). In 2001, a 9-month-old was raped and likely lost consciousness as the pain was too much to bear. Another 9-month-old baby was raped by six men, aged between 24 and 66, after the infant had been left unattended by her teenage mother. A 4-year-old girl died after being raped by her father. A 14-month-old girl was raped by her two uncles. In February 2002, an 8-month-old infant was reportedly gang raped by four men. One has been charged. The infant has required extensive reconstructive surgery. The 8-month-old infant's injuries were so extensive, increased attention on prosecution has occurred. A significant contributing factor for the escalation in child abuse is the widespread myth in HIV ravaged South Africa that having sex with a virgin will cure a man of AIDS. This myth exists in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. The child abusers are often relatives of their victims and may even be their fathers and providers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_violence_in_South_Africa).
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References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_violence_in_South_Africa
I can't imagine what you had to go through as a young girl but glad to know that you made it through. You went through some very troubled times. This is a sick disease for men and I feel like when they choose to do something like this they should pay for it with extreme consequences. It is sad to read about what is happening to young children as young as the age of 14 months old. These men are sick and need to be put away for the rest of their life and away from society. Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteI can sadly say that i can relate to your story. I was also raped at the age of ten by a family friend. The stress had a different effect on my adult behaviors. The rape caused me to be fearful and untruthful of men, very overprotective of children, and a virgin until I was 21 years of age. It took a very patient and loving man to help me work though these issues. We have been married for 32 years.
ReplyDeleteOMG! I just responded to another classmate that was raped. She responded to my post about my sister that was raped. What a sad world we live in for this to happen. I feel for all of you and wish it never happened! I hope all is well now.
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