Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future

guards view as consensual because they are gay. The guards assume that the like being raped, but
honestly why would anyone enjoy the physical and mental abuse of rape?
Sexual abuse, for inmates causes an ongoing negative strain on their psyche. Many of the inmates
who become victims frequently showcase excessive psychological abuse. Correctional facilities‘ main
goal is to rehabilitate inmates and help mold them back into law abiding citizens. But when inmates
become victims and they are not being recognized as victims they cannot be rehabilitated correctly.
Victims told Human Rights Watch that they suffer from ―nightmares, deep depression, shame, loss of
self-esteem, self-hatred, and considering or attempting suicide‖ (Cronan). Experts believe that the cycle of
violence is perpetuated after a rape occurs, in turn, creating a more violent person than before.
Rape trauma syndrome (a variant of post-traumatic stress disorder) has been identified by
psychiatrists as a common result of rape. Diagnosed victims showed symptoms of severe depression,
paranoia, fatigue, and sleep deprivation (Cronan). Many of the inmates stated they felt worthless and
hated themselves for not preventing the assault. Experts established a generalized outline which
categorizes the effects of rape into three forms of impact; short, intermediate, and long-term impact.
The short-term reaction to rape is characterized by a range of traumatic symptoms, including
nightmares and other forms of sleep disturbance, intense fear, worry, suspicion, major depression, and
impairment in social functioning. In the second stage, victims often experience depression and self-hatred,
as well as social and sexual dysfunction. The long-term effects of rape, which may surface a year or more
after the assault, often involve destructive or self-destructive behavior; common symptoms are anger,
hyper vigilance to danger, sexual dysfunction and a diminished capacity to enjoy life. (Cronan)
Victims that are diagnosed with rape trauma syndrome often develop trust issues. (Blumstein,
Alfred) If the victims are not properly diagnosed and treated they will live the rest of their lives through
that traumatic incident. One inmate told Human Rights Watch that every night he goes to sleep he sees
the face of his attacker. He sees his face in his dreams and when he awakes in the morning. Imagine
reliving the worst day of your life over and over, for many prisoners who are diagnosed with rape trauma
syndrome often relive their attacks daily.
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