What are the impacts of sexual violence on victims?

• A. Psychological symptoms
• B. All of the above
• C. Cognitive symptoms
• D. Physical symptoms

Answer: (B)

Sexual violence often affects multiple areas of a survivor’s health, not just one. The impact spans emotional and mental well-being, thinking and memory, and physical health. Psychologically, people may experience anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms like intrusive memories or hypervigilance. Cognitively, concentration problems, memory issues, and negative beliefs about oneself or the world can arise. Physically, there can be sleep disturbances, headaches, chronic pain, gastrointestinal problems, or gynecologic pain or dysfunction. Because these domains frequently interact and a survivor can experience effects across all of them, describing the impact as involving psychological, cognitive, and physical symptoms best captures the full picture. That’s why the option indicating all of these areas is the most accurate.