NIGERIA: SEXUAL ASSAULTER, WHO THEY ARE AND HOW TO CONTROL THEM? A CLINICALLY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE PROGRAM IS BORN FOR AFRICA
In human history, the greatest crime against women is rape. Males have been raped, but all through history, females have been victims most of the time. Let us focus more on females, as approximately five times more females than men are victims of sexual assault and young adults are at especially high risk. Ages 12-34 are the highest risk years for rape and sexual assault of females. Rape and sexual assault involve involuntary sexual intercourse comprising both psychological coercions, as well as physical force. Rape points to forced sexual intercourse or sexual penetration (anal but vagina mostly) by the offender. Sexual assault includes attacks or attempted attacks involving unwanted sexual contact between the offender and the victim. It also involves such things fondling, groping, grabbing and verbal sexual threats. In child sexual abuse, children are unable to give consent. Within Africa, Nigeria has extremely high levels of rape, sexual assault, and child violation. Equally reported in Nigeria are male rape and murder of female victims, and their ages range from a few months old to females in their 70s or more.
Within the Nigeria environment, credible reports show that sexual violence, assault, and child molestations are happening in peculiar places like police custody, universities, schools, family homes, a child’s bedroom, workplace, house of worship, relief camps, military custody, in a Doctor’s care, motor parks, and others. Female style of dressing which could be described as provocative dressing, like wearing skintight clothes, or Islamic women in modest dress like being hijab-clad, essentially does not result in a female becoming a victim of sexual violence. Reports have shown that rapists and child sexual abusers also attack females who are physically or developmentally disabled. Child-girl and elderly women wearing nonrevealing or everyday clothes are also victims of sexual predators. The commonsense question is what characteristic differentiates rapists and child violators from the general male populations.
In my ongoing work as an American-based forensic, clinical and sex offending psychologist in the last 26 years, in line with research and practice outcomes, rapists are rapists everywhere, irrespective of ethnicity, educational or social-economic status.
Generally, a rapist’s urge to engage in violence against females especially, starts in their teenage years, either as an individual or in a group form.
Child neglect, an abusive father, child abuse, physical abuse, and bad company are all a significant part of their experiences.
Sexual offenders, as early as in their teenage years, shows a disrespect for girls and women.
Sexual perpetrators fail to recognize the humanity of others, females especially, as dehumanization and objectification of women is part of their reality.
In their mind, they view a female not from the point of sexuality, but rather as an expression of control.
Rapist and child violators are motivated by anger, resentment and general hostility towards girls and women.
Sexual predators and violators have low inhibitions, find ways to justify their actions, have poor interpersonal and coping skills.
Sexual abusers and rapists tend to fantasize about potential victims.
Sexual abusers and rapists in the age of social media now prey on naïve children using trickery, using the internet to meet, develop relationships with, and openly seduce underage teenagers and women.
They tend to relive past sexual activities, want to have an emotional relationship with the child, and are known to have unsatisfactory relationships with adults.
Sexual offenders mainly achieve sexual gratification when they inflict pain on their victims.
Sexual predators in recent times engage in multiple roles as an offender, being a rapist, a child molester, or an incest offender.
Sex offenders see themselves as entitled and superior beings; while engaging in marital, relationship or acquaintance, express these motives which they also show when they periodically engage in stranger or gang rape.
They take time to plan their attacks, using sophisticated tactics to groom, trick, and isolate before attacking their victims.
They exhibit weak impulse control, especially those that abuse children.
Sexual assailants often have well-formulated tactics to hunt for strangers or seek out a familiar face, and, like con artists and bullies, assault their victims but tend to molest children repeatedly.
Except those rapists and child abusers involved in general violent crimes, like kidnapping, robbery, and murder, they use more psychological weapons, like power, control, manipulation, and threats, and less of physical force, like guns and knives.
They use alcohol and other substances deliberately to render victims more vulnerable to sexual attack.
Now that we have a general idea of why some men become rapists and child molesters, let us see what they look for in potential victims.
The first thing these men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle, so they go after a woman with long hair, bun, braid, or hairstyle which can easily be grabbed.
Sexual assailants look for a style of clothing that can be removed quickly; as such they carry scissors and other cutting objects.
Sexual offenders look for women preoccupied on their cell phone, searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are caught off guard and can be easily overpowered.
Rapists are most likely to attack in the early morning, between 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. There are those who risk assaulting women and girls anytime, if they feel no one can find them.
The primary places women are abducted are in grocery stores, general parking, office parking lots, garages, and public restrooms.
Rapists are the types who look to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they do not have to worry about getting caught.
Globally, societies, policymakers and clinicians focus more on the female victim, but it is time to learn about these men who rape women and girls so as to be able to control and treat them which can reduce their dangerousness in society.
These potential or convicted sexual aggressors in regards to rape and child molestation need to be involved in psychological treatment and therapeutic changes, using treatment focused on a cognitive-behavioral model.
Within the African societies, in Nigeria sex offences are soaring, due to longstanding failures of families, police, investigators, the courts, policymakers and legislatures.
No comprehensive investigation, prosecution, and rehabilitation of offenders (rapists, pedophiles, child molesters, incest offenders, cyber offenders, exhibitionists, and others) exist in terms of a significant success rate.
The John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, a Nigerian-based nonprofit Psychological Forensic Behavioral Center carries out most of its services digitally. This now includes STOP IT RIGHT NOW, an Online Sex Offending At-Risk Study, Assessment, and Therapy Service. With our online therapy, you can access psychological services within the comfort of your home, through your computer or mobile device, and find therapeutic aid when you need it the most, especially if you feel that the person who abused you currently poses a risk to a child or teen.
At STOP IT RIGHT NOW, we work to prevent the sexual abuse of adults and children by educating adults, families, and communities about sexual offending and then take actions that protect potential victims before they are harmed. Providing specialized treatment programs for sex offenders is part of our work.
At JEOF, we provide online workshops on sex offending behaviors, systems intervention, and prevention strategies trainings, live webinars and other online related learning, Our whole method to safety brings education and information together with confidence and skill building events to prepare adults to speak up and prevent sex abuse.
JEOF welcomes you:
If you are an adult worried about your sexual thoughts and feelings towards potential victims and children.
If you are an adult and recognize a sexual behavior problem in yourself that can make you feel frightened.
If you as an adult, or someone you love, needs support to recover before they act or abuse out again.
If as an adult, you feel that the person who abused you currently poses a risk to a child or teen.
If you are a recovering sex offender, a released sex offender or on community service supervision by the court.
If you as an adult who wants to learn how to manage the behavioral choices that have created pain and chaos in your live and the lives of others.
While treatment does not eliminate sexual crimes, with prevention education, prevention advocacy, systems education, and appropriate treatment, we can decrease sex offenses and protect potential victims. As a nonprofit Psychcorp organization, we will serve as a technology-initiated source of practical, cutting-edge information for families, professionals, criminal justice systems and public policymakers, as well as bring out promising and best-practice interventions with those who sexually abuse or display sexual offensive behavior problems. Online JEOF will work with relevant service providers, families, schools, institutions, law enforcement agencies, correctional system, and the courts for better therapeutic community management of sex offending persons.
Prof John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D. is a Florida-based Forensic/Clinical Psychologist with over 25 years of psychological practice. His services involve sex offender evaluation for the Sexually Violent Person, Sexually Violent Predator, or Sexually Dangerous Person.
Prof Oshodi can provide an array of psychological forensic services including expert witness and consultation, evaluations, assessments, and treatment.
JEOF is an extension of his work in Africa in collaboration with academic and clinical type programs, especially in Nigeria. Contact my Nigeria Business Manager, Benedicta Oriavwote (813 876 0079). For Program Education, contact Mamman Mohammed Munir (706 878 0090) or contact me directly at 305 505 3018; email of [email protected]. Visit: https://trans-atlanticinstitute.com
