2024-01-13 10:34:46
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The star of the series “Law & Order”, Mariska Hargitay, revealed in a personal article for “People” magazine her experience when she was raped in her thirties by a friend.
She told the magazine that she “went into a state of stagnation.”
She explained: “I was terrified. I did not want to resort to violence. I was out of my body.”
Dr. Jill Saltz, an assistant professor of psychiatry at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, said that the “freeze state” is involuntary when a serious and unavoidable event occurs.
However, still There are many questions regarding why victims of sexual assault do not fight back, leading to their reputations being tarnished.
Saltz spoke to CNN in detail regarding the “immobility position” and how victims recover from the trauma they have been exposed to.
What is often misunderstood regarding “stalemate”?
Few people know regarding the “immobility position”.
For this reason, victims of sexual assault, most of whom are women, blame themselves for not seeking help.
However, this does not mean that they allowed something similar to happen.
Saltz explained that self-blame is a second shock. The woman remains silent and shy, which makes it difficult to recover from the initial shock.
“Freezing position” does not mean consent
Rape is the insistence of a person with authority and power on the other party to have sex with him despite his lack of consent.
Saltz said consent is a verbal statement: “Yes, I want to do this with you.”
Physical consent looks like active and enthusiastic participation, not passive reception of what someone does to you.
Therefore, you must be able to speak, listen, and get a positive answer from the other person.
If you think you don’t need clear verbal or physical consent, the “freeze position” may be misinterpreted!
How has Hargitay helped spread awareness by sharing her story?
“I applaud someone like Hargitay because people tend to read her article more than the psychiatric literature on the subject,” Saltz explained. She indicated that it would be useful for her if the perpetrator confessed to her: “I did this. I am sorry.”
Obviously, most perpetrators would never say this. But to some extent, that’s what the legal system is regarding, as it relates to a woman saying, “I did this, and this would be an admission that you did this to me.” But things often go very wrong, or the women never take him to court because of the stalemate, because they know they will be blamed in the courtroom.
If everyone understood that immobility is a common neurobiological, that is, involuntary, response to sexual assault, this would affect many things.
Among them, we mention prosecution, understanding the subsequent repercussions of sexual assault on the person, and the victim will be less likely to blame themselves, which is really important for a quick recovery.
If someone knows that inaction means disagreement, that will make a big difference.
How can survivors process their trauma?
It is important to see a mental health professional immediately.
“Educating people regarding immobility, and how normal it is, can make a big difference,” Saltz said.
Organizations trying to help survivors of sexual assault are good sources of this information.
If you can, talk to trusted people around you who can support you.
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