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Although every survivor you encounter will
be unique, many will have one thing in common: Rape Trauma
Syndrome (RTS). Identified by Ann Wolbert Burgess and Lynda
Lytle Holmstrom, RTS is a cluster of emotional responses to
the extreme stress experienced by the survivor during the
sexual assault. More specifically, RTS is a response to the
profound fear of death that almost all survivors experience
during an assault. RTS occurs in three phases:
- The Acute (Initial) Phase, which usually lasts
anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after the attack.
- The Reorganization/ Stabilization Phase, which
usually lasts anywhere from a few weeks to several days
after the attack. (Often, the end of the Acute Phase will
overlap the beginning of the Reorganization/ Stabilization
Phase.)
- The Resolution Phase, which usually lasts anywhere
from several weeks to a year or longer after the attack.
Each phase is characterized by particular
emotional and physical concerns that most survivors experience.
Next
Page: The Acute Phase
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