Women's Dilema Victims Of Sexual Violence

Is it true that Putri Candrawathi is a victim of sexual violence but does not dare to make a report openly?

JAKARTA Is it true that women who are victims of sexual violence who are adults and married will be easier to deal with trauma than teenage victims?

According to a psychologist from the University of Indonesia, Dr. Rose Mini Agoes Salim, this opinion is not entirely true. In some cases, there are victims who only experience, anxiety, guilt, and shame. But in other cases, there are also victims who experience severe stress, confine themselves, give up, and even want to commit suicide out of shame.

Even though there are differences, it is not due to age factors, but rather to the experience of life, understanding religion, the environment, and a number of other factors. Including personality in terms of the resilience of victims in dealing with and overcoming problems.

There are people whose anxiety axis is short, there are also long ones, so many factors, not necessarily because of age. Adults, families certainly have more experience than teenagers, but does he have the durability to solve problems? Rose told VOI on February 16, 2023.

In fact, victims who are married will generally have greater anxiety and trauma.

There must be a lot of disturbing thoughts, whether her husband can accept it, whether his children will be able to understand and not blame him. There is a feeling of guilt, not to mention blasphemy from the environment. If victims are popular people, with high social status, the chances of blasphemy will also get bigger," he said.

It is undeniable that a number of Indonesians still consider victims of sexual violence a disgrace. Moreover, said Komnas Perempuan Commissioner, Maria Ulfah Anshor, if she got pregnant. Instead of getting support, many cases of victims of sexual violence have actually received blasphemy from their environment.

His pregnancy is considered a disgrace or risk that must be borne by himself. In fact, there were victims who were locked up or evicted from their homes or expelled from their communities," Maria told VOI on February 16, 2023.

That's what makes victims of sexual violence drop. In the end, it is not impossible that the victim will experience adjustment disorders with the effects of severe depression in the form of persistent suicide ideas.

After all, victims of sexual violence still need support. If the nearest environment provides social support and recovery without negative stigma, does not criminalize, does not isolate, usually the recovery process for victims is relatively faster. At least the victim feels safe, gradually starts talking to the person who is accompanying him," said Maria.

In general, shame, fear of self-risk, such as being blamed, ostracized, or criminalized, and the impact on the family is often the main consideration for victims of sexual violence not to report what they have experienced. Victims prefer to harbor and try to overcome it on their own.

Let alone reporting, said child psychologist and teenager Novita Tandry, just doing a post-mortem may be reluctant. Not to mention the legal process that usually takes a long time.

It is not easy to be able to report. The consequences that must be borne from the public, making BAP, reconstruction, will make victims of sexual violence feel more stressed because in this process the victim must repeat the events that have been experienced. Not to mention while undergoing trials and so on, it was very difficult for victims," he told VOI on February 16, 2023.

Another factor that is also often taken into consideration is the threat from the perpetrator. When about to report, victims often receive threats that concern themselves or their families. For example, by threatening to kill, spread videos, and others.

Moreover, if the perpetrator has a power relationship and has a family relationship.

"Reporting is a form of consequence for what must be borne, it is not easy for victims to report. If you report it, it means that he wants law enforcement, so that there is a deterrent effect on the perpetrators," said Novita.

Rose also assessed that by reporting, there are risks in itself. Victims of sexual violence will be more exposed.

There is also an environment that gives sympathy, but usually victims feel uncomfortable too because many people know what they are going through. When a lot of people know, the victim thinks again about what happened to his future life planning, "added Rose.