Vocabulary

 

 

This page contains a list of vocabulary resources rape survivors and their supporters may find helpful.

Most frequently used vocabulary:

CSA, Panic attack, PTSD, Trigger

See also: Expanding the vocabulary of rape

 

Glossary of Internet Support Group Terms and Acronyms

http://www.aswaterspassingby.org/glossary.html

Dissociative Disorders Glossary

http://www.m-a-h.net/library/did-general/article-glossary.htm

Glossary of teen sexual assault terms

http://www.teencvs.org/glossary.htm

Words for Helping and Healing

http://www.youthresource.com/our_lives/sexual_assault/articles/glossary.htm

Glossary of terms

http://www.prairiecasa.org/glossaryofterms.htm

Glossary of abuse terms

http://vip.msu.edu/theCAT/glossary.html

Abuse/Incest Support Glossary

http://incestabuse.about.com/library/glossary/blglossary.htm

Abuse of women vocabulary

http://www.powa.co.za/Display.asp?ID=29

CSA- Child sexual abuse

"Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) - Any act that involves sexual molestation or exploitation of a child by a parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care or custody of or responsibility for supervision of a child, or by any household or family members regardless of whether physical injuries are sustained. Child sexual abuse is a physical violation of a child's body through any sort of sexual contact or a psychological violation of a child's personal space through verbal or visual sexual behavior. It is a violation of a child's basic rights to be protected, nurtured, and guided through childhood and it disrupts child development, causing low self-esteem, distorted beliefs about body image and sexuality, and a lack of trust in care givers and the world in general."

http://www.turnaroundinc.org/pages/facts/glossary.html

Panic attack

"Panic attacks can accompany PTSD. They usually occur in response to a specific stimulus, such as a frightening environment. Your fear may make you hyperventilate and may even convince you that you are dying. Relaxation exercises and other coping techniques, such as deep breathing, can help you control the panic attacks. A number of medications, including several antidepressants and certain anti-anxiety drugs, may also provide relief."

From Anxiety Disorders Association of America

PTSD- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

"A psychological reaction occurring after a highly stressing event that is usually characterized by depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the event."

From msu.edu

Trigger

Also frequently written as *T*

"Experiencing 'triggers'
If you were sexually abused in childhood there may be things that bring back or 'trigger' memories. These include not only obvious things like childbirth, Pap smears or the way your partner touches you sexually, but also everyday things such as colours, kinds of furniture or vehicles, sounds, or smells, which bring back memories or feelings associated with the abuse."

From NSW rape crisis center