Today’s discussion is super intense. It’s a very hard issue that a lot of victims often find they are unable to speak about. To them, this is beyond humiliating and can make them fall into a whole new level of shame and depression. I’m talking about the victims that suffered through acts of bestiality.
Bestiality, for those that don’t know, is the act of having sexual relations between a person and an animal. It is also known under other names such as zoophilia and zoosexuality. Statistics on the subject are basically non-existent due to lack of victims willing to some forward. The overall consensus is that if one is a victim of rape via bestiality at the hands of their rapists, then the laws against such should be waved since it was against their will and completely without their consent. It’s always best though to ask a law for your state if you decide to press charges on your rapists. Also, rapists could be charged with animal cruelty by forcing acts of bestiality on victims as well, if that state considers it an illegal act.
“In many jurisdictions, all forms of zoosexual acts are prohibited; others outlaw only the mistreatment of animals, without specific mention of sexual activity. In some countries, such as Denmark, bestiality is not outlawed. It is currently illegal in Canada, Netherlands, 32 U.S. states.”
Here are some recent news stories on the subject:
Mum blames daughter's rape on bestiality
Ark. Man Confesses To Child Rape, Bestiality
Child Rape & Bestiality Arrest
Whether this has become a more common issue, or women finally feel they are able to speak about it, I’ve found a growing number of victims have began to come out about the bestiality that was forced on them by their rapist. Unfortunately, it’s been introduced more frequently in counseling groups and therapists offices than in courtrooms. Everyone, from 5-year-olds to grown adults, have suffered at the hands of their rapist who indulge in bestiality fetishes.
The Humane Society and the Vermont Animal Cruelty task force put together a great fact sheet of information on abuse of people and animals, here are some prevalent statistics on the subject (to read more click the link at the end of the blog):
“Although there has been little research to date on animal sexual abuse and its perpetrators, case reports and anecdotal accounts indicate that men are the primary abusers, although women and children may be forced or coerced into sexual acts with animals or may be abusers themselves. Reports indicate a wide age range of abusers. Abusers may feel isolated, insecure, and powerless. They may have difficulty in forming healthy interpersonal relationships with other adult humans and may have experienced neglect, physical abuse or sexual abuse as a child. Some may suffer from mental illness. In a study published in the International Journal of Psychosomatics (Alvarez & Freinhar, 1991), psychiatric patients exhibited a significantly higher prevalence rate (55%) of bestiality than control groups of medical inpatients (10%) and psychiatric staff members (15%).
Batterers, rapists and pornographers may force women, children, and other vulnerable individuals to have sex with animals in order to humiliate, dominate, control, and exploit the human and animal victims. Children who have been sexually abused may act out their abuse on animals in an attempt to gain a sense of control. Some people may derive sexual gratification from the pain and suffering inflicted while sexually abusing animals. This type of sadistic sexual abuser will probably injure or kill the animal.
The sexual abuse of animals is often linked to the sexual abuse of women and children (Kowal, 1998). This form of domestic violence involves the use of animals for degradation and sexual exploitation of the battered partner. According to Lenore Walker (1979), bestiality may be a part of further tormenting and humiliating the victim. In Walker’s (1984) interviews with battered women, bestiality was mentioned as one of the “unusual sex acts” desired by their partners. In a test group made up of women who had past relationships with battering and nonbattering partners, it was found that this experience occurred with 41% of the battering partners and 5% of the non-battering partners. Child sexual abusers may also exually abuse animals to enhance, expand or extend the abuse of the genuinely powerless and unsuspecting victim (Adams, 1994). Some case studies of sexual abuse of children include reports of forcing children to interact sexually with animals (Ascione, 1993). A child’s sexual abuse of an animal may be a warning sign that the child is a victim or witness of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Research also indicates a connection between animal sexual abuse and other types of violent crimes. According to a 1986 study, forty percent of the perpetrators of sexually motivated homicides who had been sexually abused as children also reported that they had sexually abused animals (Ressler, et al. 1986).”
If you’ve read my story in past blogs here, you know that I’ve been a victim of bestiality myself. I’ve known survivors that have been kind enough to share their own stories with me as well. If you take nothing else from this blog, I want you to take this: You are not alone. No matter how awful and ashamed these events make you feel, it was not your fault. You did not ask for this. Also, if you’re a victim of abuse and you’ve started taking it out on your pets, please I urge you to seek help. It’s never too late.
You never know what others have suffered. I never came to grips with what happened to me till I was finally able to say it out loud. It took a long time, a lot of work, and an unwavering trust in someone not to judge me. If you don’t feel like you have that in your friends or family, I urge you to seek the help of a professional counselor. They are there to help you deal with things like this. Please don’t suffer in silence any longer. Don’t give your abuser that power any longer.
Info on legal stats
Vermont Animal Cruelty Task Force
Check out more about R.I.S.E. at any of the following:
Website: avoiceforheather.tripod.com
Myspace: myspace.com/avoiceforheather
Blog: avoiceforheather.blogspot.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/avoiceforheather
Twitter: www.twitter.com/VoiceforHeather
Email: VoiceforHeather@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment