Sexual violence is a life-altering experience that can impact mental health, physical health, relationships, and day-to-day life. While sexual violence has historically been a taboo topic, society is increasingly open to acknowledging it and supporting survivors. As part of that effort, the United States recognizes the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). In the same spirit, at Aviva Psychology Services, all care provided to clients is trauma-informed, and our team of psychologists includes those who specialize in trauma broadly and sexual trauma specifically. 

The longstanding taboo around the topic of sexual violence also means that many people have a limited understanding of what sexual violence is, the impact it can have on a person’s life, and how therapy can help. This article will explore all three of these topics. 

What is Sexual Violence? 

Sexual violence isn’t one experience; it is a broad category of experiences. Sexual violence is defined as a sexual act that is committed or attempted by another person without the freely-given consent of the victim or against someone who is unable to consent or refuse.

Sexual violence can occur at any age, can happen to people of any gender, and it may be perpetrated by strangers or people we know. Sexual violence can also occur in-person or in online circumstances, when technology facilitates the act of violence. Experiences that are examples of sexual violence include:

• Sexual molestation as a child or adult
• Rape or attempted rape 
• Sexual activity that occurs when unable to consent (e.g., sleeping, intoxicated)
• Being threatened with unwanted sexual contact
• Being coerced or pressured into sexual activity 
• Nonconsensual sharing of intimate images
• Deepfakes and AI-generated sexual images 
• Indecent exposure
• Sexual harassment 

Sexual violence is unfortunately very common. In the United States, greater than 50% of women and almost 33% of men report experiencing some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Sexual violence occurs at higher rates for specific groups, such as for LGBT+ people and for unhoused people. 

It is important to note that sexual violence and sexual assault are two distinct terms. Sexual assault also involves nonconsensual sexual acts, but it specifically refers to acts that are named within Federal, state, or tribal law. State laws vary in their definition of sexual assault and related concepts, such as the age at which a person is considered able to consent to sexual activity. 

How Can Sexual Violence Impact Our Health? 

Sexual violence can impact both our physical and mental health. 

For example, survivors of sexual assault frequently experience physical injuries during the act of violence. One study reports that approximately 40% of survivors of rape have injuries like bruises and cuts and that 12% report a sexually transmitted infection as a result of the assault. Some sexual assaults result in pregnancy, and pregnancies that are the result of assault are more likely to be medically complicated. Sexual assault is also a risk factor for difficulty with reproduction and gynecologic problems.

Additionally, research indicates that all forms of sexual violence are associated with physical problems like increased chronic pain, including headaches, migraines, and pelvic pain. Research has found a strong relationship between childhood sexual abuse and serious, chronic physical health conditions. Specifically, survivors of childhood sexual abuse have been found to experience significantly higher rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and cancer. 

Sexual violence also impacts mental health in many ways. For example, experiencing rape or other forms of sexual violence is strongly associated with developing symptoms of many different mental health conditions. The most common mental health condition developed after sexual violence is depression, followed by sleep disorders and eating disorders. Some survivors of sexual violence also develop symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Research shows that survivors of sexual violence are at high risk of developing low self-esteem, anxiety, persistent feelings of anger, guilt and shame, and thoughts of suicide. 

How Can Sexual Violence Impact Our Relationships? 

In addition to impracting physical and mental health, experiences of sexual violence can have significant impact on our relationships—and not just our sexual relationships. 

Survivors of sexual violence frequently experience difficulties in romantic relationships, friendships, and social interactions in general. These difficulties can be related to persistent feelings of shame, anxiety, or depression, as these emotional experiences sometimes lead to avoiding social settings and living a more isolated life. When this occurs, survivors have limited community to support them, begin to feel more “out of practice” with socializing, and as a result withdraw even further from relationships. 

Additionally, many survivors have understandable difficulty with trust, emotional intimacy, and physical intimacy. For example, survivors may believe things like, “If I get close to others, they will take advantage of me.” They may find sexual intimacy triggers strong physical or emotional reactions, such as feelings of panic. These difficulties can make it challenging to initiate or maintain relationships of any kind, but survivors may especially notice these impacts when there is a power dynamic in the relationship, such as between parents and children or employees and supervisors.

How Can Therapy Support Recovery from Sexual Violence? 

While there are a multitude of impacts from sexual violence, there are fortunately also a multitide of therapies that can help. 

Specifically, there are many evidence-based psychotherapies that have been heavily researched and demonstrated to be safe and effective for survivors of sexual violence. Many of the strongly-supported evidence-based therapies available fall under the umbrella of cognitive behavioral therapy. At its core, cognitive behavioral therapy, often called CBT for short, seeks to help survivors understand the relationship between their thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Because all three are connected, making changes in any one area can impact the others, too. 

CBT teaches strategies for enacting changes that can improve our daily lives, even if we can’t change past events (like experiencing sexual violence) and even if we don’t have control over all our circumstances (like whether or not the legal system provided justice related to the sexual violence, society’s tendency to victim blame, etc.). You can read more about CBT here. 

There are many different forms of CBT that address specific types of symptoms that may develop after trauma. For example, depression is the most common diagnostic outcome after experiencing sexual violence, and there are many forms of CBT for depression, including traditional forms of CBT like Behavioral Activation and newer therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. 

Health problems like insomnia are common after sexual violence, and CBT for insomina is considered the frontline, gold standard treatment for it. You can read more about CBT for insomnia here. Another common impact of sexual violence is experiences of chronic pain, and CBT for chronic pain (CBT-CP)  is also an evidence-based therapy available at Aviva Psychology Services. 

While a less common outcome of sexual violence, some survivors do develop PTSD. PTSD has been found to be highly treatable via structured, CBT-based interventions like Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy, which are considered the gold standard treatments for PTSD and are available at Aviva Psychology Services. You can read more about PTSD and its treatment here. 

How To Begin Your Recovery

If you think you may benefit from therapeutic support after experiencing sexual violence, the first step is getting connected to a provider who has training to assess your symptoms, determine the most accurate mental health diagnoses, and help you build an individualized treatment plan. 

At Aviva Psychology Services, we recognize every experience of sexual violence is unique, and so are the needs, preferences, goals, and diagnostic profile. You can get connected with a psychologist with expertise in sexual violence by filling out the Request an Appointment form.

Selected References and Additional Reading:

1. 
   Basile KC, Smith SG, Chen J, Zwald M. Chronic Diseases, Health Conditions, and Other Impacts Associated With Rape Victimization of U.S. Women. J Interpers Violence. 2021 Dec;36(23-24):NP12504-NP12520. doi: 10.1177/0886260519900335. Epub 2020 Jan 23. PMID: 31971055; PMCID: PMC7375935.
   
   
2. Irish L, Kobayashi I, Delahanty DL. Long-term physical health consequences of childhood sexual abuse: a meta-analytic review. J Pediatr Psychol. 2010 Jun;35(5):450-61. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsp118. Epub 2009 Dec 18. PMID: 20022919; PMCID: PMC2910944.
   
   
3. McKeon, R. (2024, December 5). Sexual violence can cast a long shadow on health - Harvard Health. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sexual-violence-can-cast-a-long-shadow-on-health-202412053083‌
4. 
   American Psychological Association. (2025). Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Adults. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline
   
   
5. Norman, S., Hamblen, J., & Schnurr, P. (2023). Overview of Psychotherapy for PTSD. National Center for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/overview_therapy.asp
6. 
   Wall, D. (2021, March 10). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Fact Sheet - ABCT - Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. ABCT - Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. https://www.abct.org/fact-sheets/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/