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Eating Disorders Related To Depression in Adolescents in Canada
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Eating Disorders Related To Depression in Adolescents in Canada
Annotated Bibliography
Newton, S., et al. “Depression in adolescents and young adults: Evidence review.” Adelaide University, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice. Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (2010).
Newton et al. wrote an outline of the findings of a series of systematic reviews done with the aim of identifying existing risk and protective factors for depression, means for preventing mental problems, treatment, and how these risk factors influence outcomes, adolescents, and young adults. The working committee that formulated the paper used collected evidence as a foundation for a series of evidence statements that were later translated into recommendations.
The document is a very crucial basis for clinical and medical experts when dealing with eating disorders as mental problems. The evidence statements suggested that females compared to males were more likely to suffer from mental conditions and eating disorders. Problems during infancy were also highlighted as predictive factors for major mental issues in adolescents. Issues such as neonatal problems in males and low birth weight in females were predictive of serious mental problems in adolescents and young adults. There was also evidence that incubator care reduced the incidence of mental problems in the future, mainly for female adolescents.
Couturier, J., Isserlin, L., Norris, M., Spettigue, W., Brouwers, M., Kimber, M., … & Snelgrove, N. (2020). Canadian practice guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 4.
This article draws its inspiration from the prevalence of eating disorders and other serious eating conditions affecting 4% of the Canadian population to address the lack of guidelines to facilitate treatment decisions. The aim of the article thus remains to create recommendations for the treatment eating disorders in adolescents and children.
The article begins with a review of past evidence focusing on relevance to its topic, the availability of quality scientific information before incorporating a panel of parents, clinicians, researchers, and individuals that have lived with the disorders from across the country.
The panel then developed a list of recommendations that included the facilitation of family-based treatment and care given in an environment that is not intensive. These two recommendations were also accompanied by others considered weak, including multi-family therapy, atypical antipsychotics, psychotherapy tailored for adolescents, and adjunctive yoga. The contribution of this article on the topic of eating disorders in adolescents is unmeasurable as it provides important information on a very crucial subject. In addition to the recommendations, the panel also provides areas for future research, most importantly, the development of novel treatment practices for severe and multifaceted eating problems.
Lock, J., & La Via, M. C. (2015). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5), 412-425.
The evaluation of treatment of eating disorders is not a straightforward affair and relies on the precise proficiency and related clinical experience. This article is a practice parameter that used an evidence-based style to evaluate the management of eating conditions in children and adolescents. It precisely focuses on binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), anorexia nervosa (AN), and bulimia nervosa (BN). The article does not address eating disorders in infancy. The aim of the article is to facilitate medical professionals in the management of eating disorders in youths and children.
The article reviewed literature from various recognized sources using medical subject headings relevant to the topic and sought important evidence to assist psychiatrists with clinical decision making. The parameters defined in the article does not, however, define the only standard of care but does not include all appropriate methods or denounce others directed towards the same outcome.
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79-93.
This article suggests an intimate connection between the use of social media and mobile gadgets and the mental wellbeing of adolescents. The article is a methodical review of evidence on the effect of screen time on various conditions that lead to eating disorders. The research investigates primary factors that contribute to the negative influence of social media on mental wellbeing.
The relevance of this research is its modern context. It mentions the impacts of sedentary behavior on the mental health of Canadian as well as global youth. Social media distracts adolescents and makes them less active, which is a significant issue in the advancement of mental condition. The findings of the study suggested that exposure to social media based on the amount of time, investment, addiction, and activity correlated with various eating disorders.
Andreea-Elena, M. (2015). The risk of eating disorders in adolescence and its association with the value of the body mass index, level of anxiety, and level of depression. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 187, 141-146.
It is possible that certain conditions will contribute to eating disorders. This research seeks to determine the link between eating conditions and depression, anxiety, and BMI. This kind of study is conducted on a global scale and is often focuses on either male or female adolescents.
The research sampled 119 adolescents with 32 being male and 87 female aged between 15 and 19 from a high school they all attended. Using The Eating Attitude Test-26 and a correlational pattern found a positive connection between the risk of developing an eating condition and BMI. However, the statistical intensity was low for this case, while the link between the risk of developing food disorders and anxiety was positive and of moderate and statistically significant. When the findings were differentiated on the basis of gender, the correlations were statistically significant in girls but not in boys.
Omiwole, M., Richardson, C., Huniewicz, P., Dettmer, E., & Paslakis, G. (2019). Review of Mindfulness-Related Interventions to Modify Eating Behaviors in Adolescents. Nutrients, 11(12), 2917.
Well-established approaches to the treatment of eating conditions for adolescent disorders are not many, and for the few that exist, 30 to 40 percent is their reported remission reports. The article cites this reason as the need for novel treatment methods. The article suggests that mindfulness approaches have been significantly successful in adults and should be recommended for adolescents.
The research is a review that searched for relevant studies and designated a few to be used in the review. The study then divided the researches based on their aims, whether it’s the advancement of healthy eating or hindering unhealthy eating. Thirteen studies from the 15 that were chosen for review indicated the presence of at least one positive link between mindfulness management approaches and decreased BMI, reduced weight or shape concerns, eating in the absence of hunger (EAH), and restrained eating. Because of missing data and actual evidence on the applicability of mindfulness techniques in treating eating disorders in adolescents means incorporating mindfulness methods to the management of eating disorders in adolescents is still in the early stages.
Schwartz, C., Waddell, C., Barican, J., Andres, C., & Gray-Grant, D. (2015). Intervening for young people with eating disorders.
Dealing with eating disorders effectively begins with preventing them from occurring. Schwartz et al. believe that it is very important to learn the risks in order to reduce them. At this point, the article chooses two studies that have been following the experiences of adolescents for more than ten years. One of the studies applied in this research found out that most adolescents suffered from eating disorders because of societal pressure and preoccupation with a thin body. Another study suggested that being comfortable with their body made adolescents 68 percent more likely to develop an eating disorder.
The study also suggests that longitudinal surveys constituted the novel method of measuring risk. The reason for this is that factors that are considered to contribute to the incidence of eating disorders cannot be measured experimentally. The study also wanted to answer the role of genes in the prevalence of eating disorders and suggest that not many studies support or substantiality proofs the role of genes in this question.
Hamel, A. E., Zaitsoff, S. L., Taylor, A., Menna, R., & Grange, D. L. (2012). Body-related social comparison and disordered eating among adolescent females with an eating disorder, depressive disorder, and healthy controls. Nutrients, 4(9), 1260-1272.
Eating disorders are problematic in at least five percent of adolescent females across the globe, a figure that is almost similar in Canada. Because of these problems, it is crucial for medical scientists to conduct more research that will better the understanding of healthcare providers in terms of the factors connected to the origin and care of eating disorders. Harmel at al focuses their research on the link between body-related social comparison (BRSC) and eating disorders denoted as ED.
The study was divided into relating the prevalence of BRSC in teenagers diagnosed with an eating disorder, depressive disorder, but without a mental history and whether BRSC is linked to ED after controlling for self-esteem issues and signs of depression. Compared to adolescents healthy and adolescents with DD, those with ED engaged more with BRSC. The findings indicated that BRSC was expressively positively associated with eating disorders.
References
Andreea-Elena, M. (2015). The risk of eating disorders in adolescence and its association with the value of the body mass index, level of anxiety and level of depression. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 187, 141-146.
Couturier, J., Isserlin, L., Norris, M., Spettigue, W., Brouwers, M., Kimber, M., … & Snelgrove, N. (2020). Canadian practice guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 4.
Hamel, A. E., Zaitsoff, S. L., Taylor, A., Menna, R., & Grange, D. L. (2012). Body-related social comparison and disordered eating among adolescent females with an eating disorder, depressive disorder, and healthy controls. Nutrients, 4(9), 1260-1272.
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79-93.
Lock, J., & La Via, M. C. (2015). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(5), 412-425.
Newton, S., et al. “Depression in adolescents and young adults: Evidence review.” Adelaide University, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice. Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (2010).
Omiwole, M., Richardson, C., Huniewicz, P., Dettmer, E., & Paslakis, G. (2019). Review of Mindfulness-Related Interventions to Modify Eating Behaviors in Adolescents. Nutrients, 11(12), 2917.
Schwartz, C., Waddell, C., Barican, J., Andres, C., & Gray-Grant, D. (2015). Intervening for young people with eating disorders.
Eating Disorders among Teenagers
Eating Disorders among Teenagers
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Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that cause severe distortion in the eating habits and body weights of individuals. Eating disorders affect people of different ages and genders. Many people tend to believe that eating disorders only affect females, which is not true. Anyone can develop an eating disorder and any time, which needs to be treated as fast as possible with the proper procedures before they proceed to fatality. Everyone desires to achieve a body image that they admire, which could be defined by weight, their body’s shape, and looks, among other features. Exercise and diet play a significant role in weight gain and loss. Based on age, health and other factors, different individuals require a certain amount of food and exercise to keep their body functioning well. Some people have a distorted image of their body, which could lead to severe eating disorders. For example, a person may feel that they are too fat even though they may be at the right weight for their age, height and body type. Such distorted images could push individuals to extremes in dieting and exercise as they try to lose weight. Important areas of focus in eating disorders include DSM-V diagnostic criteria, prevalence and treatment of the disorder.
The DSM-V gives specific diagnostic criteria for eating disorders. The manual classifies eating disorders into different categories. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are the most common and are referred to as the typical eating disorders. Pica, ruminating disorder and restrictive food intake disorder are also defined in the manual. Other disorders apart from these are known as ‘other specified feeding or eating disorders’ (OSFEDs). These atypical eating disorders are defined as “feeding and eating disorder that causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social life but does not meet the full criteria for typical eating disorders” (Galmiche et al. 2019). All of these eating disorders have specific diagnostic criteria that are outlined in the DSM-V.
Pica is an eating disorder characterized by a persistent intake of nonfood items with no nutritional value for a period of more than a month. These items cannot sustain the growth of the individual. The third criterion for pica is that any cultural or social practices do not support the abnormal eating behaviour. When pica occurs alongside another mental disorder or medical condition, it requires additional medical attention. Rumination disorder is the second eating disorder in the DSM-V. The first characteristic of this ED is that individuals affected regurgitate food for at least a month (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This regurgitation is not related to any gastrointestinal or other medical condition. Avoidant or restrictive food intake disorder involves eating disturbances such as lack of interest, food avoidance and concern for adverse effects of food intake. Because of these disturbances, the individual fails to meet their required energy and nutritional needs. This leads to serious consequences such as significant weight loss, nutritional deficiency, dependency on oral supplements and interference with psychosocial functioning. The second criterion for this disorder is that the disturbed eating patterns are not explained by a lack of food or any cultural practice. Third, the eating pattern is not exclusive to anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Finally, restrictive food intake disorder is not attributed to any other medical condition or mental illness.
The DSM-V gives three main criteria by which anorexia nervosa is diagnosed. Anorexia is one of the most common eating disorders. The first diagnostic criterion is that individuals with this order restrict their energy intake relative to requirements, resulting in low body weight based on their age, health, gender and development. Anorexia bulimia is also characterized by an unusually intense fear of gaining weight, leading to behaviour that prevents gaining weight even though the individual might have significantly low weight. The third criterion for diagnosing anorexia nervosa is a disturbance in the way a person views their weight or body shape, which greatly affects how their self-evaluation(American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The individual also fails to recognize the significance of their very low weight. Anorexia bulimia can either be defined as restrictive or binge-eating types, based on behaviour observed over a period of three months. Under the first category, the individual loses weight primarily through excessive dieting, fasting and exercise. The binge-eating type of anorexia nervosa involves purging behaviour such as self-induced vomiting, laxatives, enemas, among other methods.
Bulimia nervosa is another severe eating disorder with several diagnostic criteria. The first is recurring episodes of binge-eating, marked by feelings of lack of control over eating behaviour and consumption of large portions that most individuals cannot eat in a similar amount of time. The second criterion for bulimia nervosa is persistent behaviour to prevent weight gain, such as induced vomiting, excessive exercise and use of medications. The abnormal eating behaviour is observed at least once weekly for three months (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Third, the individual puts a lot of emphasis on their weight and body shape. These characteristics of bulimia nervosa do not only appear during episodes of anorexia bulimia. The severity of bulimia nervosa is based on the frequency of inappropriate compensatory behaviour; for example mild cases have an average of 1-3 episodes per week, while a severe case has more than 14 episodes per week.
Binge-eating disorder is the third of the most common eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The disorder shares one feature with bulimia nervosa, which is consuming large amounts of food within a period that other individuals would not eat within similar circumstances and a comparable period. The individual also feels like they have no control over their eating at the time. To meet the criteria for binge-eating disorder, an individual must meet three or more of the following. These are eating until one feels uncomfortably full, feelings of guilt and disgust after eating, eating alone due to shame of how much food one consumes, eating faster than normal, and eating even one does not feel hungry (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).. The third diagnostic criterion for binge-eating is distress about binge episodes. To be diagnosed with binge-eating disorder, the behaviour must be observed at least once weekly for three months. Finally, the signs of binge-eating disorders should not be exclusively associated with anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
The DSM-V classifies other eating disorders that do not meet the criteria for the above disorders as other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFEDs). Individuals who experience feelings or eating disorders which affect their functioning, such as social or occupational functions, and also cause clinical distress can be diagnosed with OSFEDs. The differentiating factor is that the symptoms do not fully fit into the other eating disorders with defined criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). For example, a person presenting signs of atypical anorexia nervosa is diagnosed with OSFEDs. The person could meet most of the criteria for anorexia, but their weight is still within the normal range despite their significant weight loss. They might meet all of the criteria for bulimia, but the behaviour is observed less than once weekly and for less than the three-month specified period.
The frequency and prevalence of eating disorders vary based on population. Some countries and regions have a higher rate of eating disorders than others. Ward et al. (2019) conducted a study in the United States to examine the prevalence of eating disorders in the nation’s population. They found that roughly one in 7 males experienced an eating disorder by the age of 40. Among females, this number was higher, with about 1 in 5 females experiencing an eating disorder in the same age range (Ward et al., 2019). The study involved 100000 individuals, half being male and the other half being female. The data was collected between 2007 and 2011, taking into account four major EDs; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorders and OSFEDs. The study also found that most individuals experienced eating disorders at the age of 21 (Ward et al., 2019). Most people develop eating disorders during their late teen years and young adulthood, supported by findings from the study.
Another study conducted in Switzerland allows comparison between the prevalence of eating disorders in different countries. Mohler-Kuo et al. conducted a study involving a representative sample of the country’s population. 10038 residents of Switzerland took part in the study, which examined the prevalence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. The study found the average prevalence rate for any eating disorder to be 3.5%. Rates varied among men and women. Among women, AN, BN, and BED were found to have a prevalence rate of 1.2%, 2.4%, and 2.4%, respectively. Among men, the rates were lower, averaging 0.2%, 0.9%, and 0.7%, respectively (Mohler-Kuo et al., 2016). The findings from the US and Switzerland studies prove that the prevalence of eating disorders varies between countries.
Eating disorders are most prevalent among adolescents and may go on into young adulthood. Mairs and Nicholls analyzed the prevalence and treatment of eating disorders among adolescents. The study focused on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder. The study found that the average prevalence of eating disorders among adolescents is 13% (Mairs, & Nicholls, 2016). Dahlgren et al. also analyzed 19 studies conducted into the prevalence of eating disorders in different countries. They found that prevalence varied significantly in the studies involved. On average, the lifetime rates of anorexia bulimia among females ranged between 1.7 and 3.6%. Point prevalence rates for binge-eating disorder ranged between 0.62 to 3.6 % in females (Dahlgren et al., 2017). In general, most studies focused on the prevalence of eating disorders among females.
Treatment of eating disorders among adolescents involves different parties. The first step in treatment is the diagnosis of an eating disorder. Parents and family members play an essential role in noticing the signs of an eating disorder among adolescents. For example, a parent, guardian or sibling may notice a change in the eating habits and other concerning behaviour around food and body image. The adolescent may pay more attention to their weight and body image, complain about being fat, restrict their food intake, and lose significant amounts of weight. Most adolescents will not admit that they have an eating disorder and require the intervention of professionals. Forest et al. found that only about twenty percent of adolescents with eating disorders seek treatment for their illness (Forrest et al., 2017). Girls are also 2.2 times more likely to seek help for an eating disorder compared to boys. Different eating disorders also have different rates of help-seeking. For example, teens are more likely to seek treatment for anorexia and bulimia nervosa than binge-eating disorder, at the rate of 27.5% and 22.3% vs. 11.6%, respectively (Forrest et al., 2017). Eating disorders require extensive treatment from different professionals.
Mairs and Nicholls offer a comprehensive guide to the treatment of eating disorders. Some of the professionals involved in the treatment process include family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and dieticians. The first step is a visit to a doctor or pediatrician who plays a critical role in recognizing signs of an ED and recommendation of services. This first meeting usually involves a reluctant teen and their family, and it is meant to establish a good rapport and engage the patient. The doctor assesses the patient’s physical, social and psychological state (Mairs & Nicholls, 2016). There are both individual and family meetings with the health provider as the patient will be reluctant to disclose concerns about weight and body image with their family present (Forrest et al., 2017). The doctor will then analyze the risks of the eating disorder. Some reporting measures used include the Development and Wellbeing Assessment, Eating Disorders Examination, Eating Attitudes Test and Self-Report Questionnaires. With these, a comprehensive plan is created to address the eating disorder. A food plan is created with the guidance of a dietician. Parents and family members are crucial in giving information about the patient’s eating habits and offering support during and after mealtimes. The acceptance of a new eating plan takes time and could require interventions such as cognitive-behavioural therapy. The involved parties monitor the patient’s progress, and treatment continued as needed.
In summary, eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that require timely diagnosis and treatment before they progress into a severe state. The DSM-V gives comprehensive criteria for the diagnosis of eating disorders. The DSM-V eating disorder criteria cover pica, avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorders. Eating disorders are most common among adolescents and require a team of professionals to treat. Given the severe effects of eating disorders, recognizing the early signs and seeking treatment are imperative.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.
Dahlgren, C. L., Wisting, L., & Rø, Ø. (2017). Feeding and eating disorders in the DSM-5 era: a systematic review of prevalence rates in non-clinical male and female samples. Journal of eating disorders, 5(1), 1-10.
Forrest, L. N., Smith, A. R., & Swanson, S. A. (2017). Characteristics of seeking treatment among US adolescents with eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(7), 826-833.
Galmiche, M., Déchelotte, P., Lambert, G., & Tavolacci, M. P. (2019). Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: a systematic literature review. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 109(5), 1402-1413.
Mairs, R., & Nicholls, D. (2016). Assessment and treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 101(12), 1168-1175.
Mohler-Kuo, M., Schnyder, U., Dermota, P., Wei, W., & Milos, G. (2016). The prevalence, correlates, and help-seeking of eating disorders in Switzerland. Psychological medicine, 46(13), 2749.
Ward, Z. J., Rodriguez, P., Wright, D. R., Austin, S. B., & Long, M. W. (2019). Estimation of eating disorders prevalence by age and associations with mortality in a simulated nationally representative US cohort. JAMA network open, 2(10), e1912925-e1912925.
Female Education
Female Education
Women, men, children and communities are all separately affected by the demoralizing aspect of date rape that is continuously occurring in the society that surrounds everyone. Why is it that so many individuals are aware of date rape, yet no one seems to take into consideration the importance of the issues in society? It seems to be such an unpleasant issue that it is too difficult for many to discuss. Silence is becoming too expected to the victims of date rape. The “culture of silence” keeps in the humiliation, the fear of rejection and shame that victims could be feeling everyday of their lives. Individuals want to feel normal and fit into society, so dealing with the myths and deception within society is more acceptable for them. Sometimes silence seems to be the more acceptable way in society. Date rape is interpreted differently from everyone this is where the myths and silence seems to be more acceptable.
Regardless of the laws that protect each individual, it is highly known that there are more victims who are silent than who decide to come forward. Even the term “date rape” pushes people away because it is an extremely sensitive subject. People are more aware of the myths that are throughout society than the actual aspects that surround rape. “Date rape” sounds as if it were to happen with the choice of each pattern in a dating situation. There really is no way to make the issue sound better because it is too a horrible aspect in life, but people need to take into consideration that it can happen to anyone. With all of the sensitive subjects, date rape seems to be one that is less heard of than others. “In reality, the woman who has been sexually assaulted frequently finds that both she and the accused are being judged. At the heart of this systemic bias is a long tradition of rape myths that have permeated not only the legal system, but that are pervasive in society” (Du Mont, Janice; Parnis, Deborah, 102-109). Society brings out a different definition for date rape. No one knows the aspect of what the victim goes through unless they have been there themselves. Yet many myths still seem to overtake society.
“Rape myths are part of the general culture, people learn them in the same way they acquire other attitudes and beliefs – from their families, friends, newspaper, movies and books” (Bechhoter, Parrot 28). There is no reason as to why myths occur in the first place, but this is one of the main reasons as to why victims stay silent and try to deal with the situation on their own. There are four main types of myths that deal with date rape that discourage the victims and sometimes encourage the rapist. The first myth is labeled Nothing Happened. “The first group of myths remove an incident from the category of a ‘real’ rape by denying that any incident, either sex or rape, occurred at all” (Bechhoter, Parrot 28). Even though this silence is very common, this makes it seem like it is easy for the victim to just forget everything that had happened to them. No matter the age that the individual was raped, this can make a significant change in every aspect of their life. This myth also had people thinking “that women lie, ‘crying rape’ to cover up an out-of wedlock pregnancy or to get back at men who have jilted them or refused their advances” (Bechhoter, Parrot 28). This is unethical to think because no one would ever want to put that much on themselves. Nothing Happened myth can be related to the culture of silence because they do want to try and believe that this did not happen to them, yet it tears them apart inside.
The second myth related to date rape is No Harm Was Done. “Remarks such as, if you’re not a virgin what difference does it make? And relax and enjoy it, reflects this belief implying that the rape is no different from other acts of sex the victim has experienced” (Bechhoter, Parrot, 29). The myth is noticed more in a society with younger and ignorant adolescents. This can ruin any victim of rape making them feel as if she was in the wrong. This is hard for women because they can be stereotyped with something they had no say in or either their own past. If a women has a bad past then people think that since she was date raped it was fine because it would not make a difference to her. No matter whom the person is, rape is such a severe case that it should be taken a lot more seriously than it is. This myth also states that “if a woman can be shown to have had sex with someone other than her husband, she is no longer worthy of the law’s protection – she is fair game, or an open territory victim as Clark and Lewis (1977) phrased.” This certainly was stated many years ago, but the fact is that people actually would put this on a woman and back then women would not have much say in the first place.
The third myth is known as She Wanted It. “Frighteningly, some people also still believe that women like to be treated violently and that force is sexually stimulating to women. This line of reasoning ultimately comes down to ‘There’s no such thing as rape’” (Bechhoter, Parrot 30). How can someone deliberately think that anyone would want to be raped, or would enjoy it? No wonder there is such a specialized definition of the culture of silence. Who would want to go through that pain of dealing with rape, and then having individuals believing the victim wanted it.
The fourth group of myths is known as She Deserved It. “This myth admits that there was sex and that the sex was forced, but they hold the woman responsible…if she was flirting, if she was attractively dressed etc. she got into the game of sexuality and once in the game, society loads her with the full responsibility for whatever happens” (Bechhoter, Parrot 31). Yes it is a persons choice as to what they decide to wear, but in no way does someone wake up in the morning and dressed to ‘get raped.’ Certainly being a woman people need to take into consideration it is dangerous but no one ever should hold the blame for it. The consequences of all of these myths are that they teach women to blame themselves for what had happened to them and they will bring themselves down in the future. It is horrible to even think that these myths are out in every society, and to think that some people actual will go along with them, when they are hurting many victims surrounding them
Since these myths are common, it is fairly obvious what brings the culture of silence into society. Victims of date rape do not want to have the description of them as something they are not. These victims will have to carry their memories with them forever and they do not want to have the feelings of shame and harassment coming from others. The culture of silence can easily be related to the article “The Problem That Has No Name” by Betty Fridan. It was and still is hard for some women to talk about their problems at home and to the people they love because they think it is wrong to speak out against their husbands. The feeling that they still are not equal to men keeps their emotions in and they do not want to be looked down to. It also is the aspect that men are inferior to women, and they feel that there is nothing more that they can do than to stay silent. A lot of women get similarly affected and it is a silent issue that no one ever wants to talk about. “For fifteen years women in America found it harder to talk about their problems than about sex. Even the psychoanalysts had no name for it” (Friedan, 1991). This still relates to rape because no matter what the problem was it was difficult for any woman to talk about their problems. They do not want to feel the dissatisfaction of being less than their husband so they keep all of their problems to themselves. She may feel anyone she talks to will not believe her, or they will judge her by what has happened to her. Also, it is strenuous on them because they will have to go through the horrifying memories again in order to let someone know. All of these women wanted was to fit into society and have a normal life like the upper-class women, so why would they want to let themselves feel inferior to the people they look up to. Even though this article was about a problem that no one could understand what it was about, it could have happened to anyone and that fact of the matter was that no one wanted to talk about it. They felt that something must be wrong with them in order for a problem to occur. These women never wanted to confess about what was going on in their lives, because they wanted to feel normal and have their husbands be proud of them. No one wanted to be centered out and have people talk about them because something had happened to them, or their husbands/family knew something was wrong. The culture of silence seems to be more accepted since no one wants to be different than others in society or focused on.
This on other terms could also be related to eating disorders that have been discussed in class. The individual knew that something was wrong but why would they want to let everyone else know what was going on. Everyone is affected in a particular way yet it is such a silent issue that no one came out about. It is something people deal with themselves until they actually are aware that it can be normal and they do need to be treated and looked after to move on with their lives. The feeling of having a secret of staying silent hurts inside but no one wants to let their community know they are hurting. They cannot help that this happened but sometime feel that it was there fault and they are too ashamed to consult someone about it. Eating disorders are something that people look down to and they know that something is wrong with the person and that they need help. Being a victim of rape may be able to show but the individual does not feel they need to be pampered because of something that went wrong. The person that was affected may feel like they are the only one going through this problem however there are many victims that need to break through this culture of silence in order for them to try and move on with their lives. When someone fights over their eating disorder they feel as if they have a second chance in their life, and this disease did not bring them down with it. The culture of silence is the disease in this case, and it can bring the victim down as far as it can go unless they do overcome their fears and help themselves in the long run. Date rape victims feel as well that they overcame their fears and were able to move on when finally came through and helped themselves out by breaking the silence. Yet, the silence is so common that it is harder for them to think it is right for someone to talk about their problems. These stories/myths are too one type of cause of the culture of silence because it is what could be holding them back because they are too afraid of getting hurt again within their society.
In conclusion, in order for the culture of silence to be broken, society needs to take control and stop these specifically four myths from silencing the victims of rape. There are so many groups of surviving individuals that are currently helping them move on in their lives today. Still though the “culture of silence” keeps in the humiliation, the fear of rejection and shame that victims could be feeling everyday of their lives. Date rape can be compared to different aspects of women’s lives, but nothing is even close to exactly what these individuals have to try and overcome. In order for something to be done, people need to start now and help bring awareness into the communities and households of society. But there is no cure for these victims unless they decide to help heal themselves by opening up to someone who will indeed be there for them and help them through whatever they need. The culture of silence is the next step that needs to be broken for people of today’s future in order to survive mental, physically and emotionally.
Bibliography:
Work Cited
Bechhoter, Lauire., Parrot, Andrea. Acquaintance Rape The Hidden Crime. New York: A Wiley- Interscience Publication, 1991.
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