ABSTRACT
I believe that the power of ongoing victimization is significant and often overlooked. Remembering that most physical and sexual assaults occur within the context of a relationship simply separating a perpetrator and victim may not be easily accomplished. For example, perpetrators and victims may share the same set of friends, attend the same school, work together, and/or may attend the same church. They often have children together. The ongoing victimization could be as simple as someone being around a person that the perpetrator knows, for example, or in a situation similar to that of the rape situation. If the sexual assault occurred at a party and the victim and perpetrator share the same set of friends, then getting together with these friends may bring back the memory of the rape. It is not easy to simply let go of one’s support network and begin building new friendships. What can worsen the situation is when the perpetrator and victim know each other’s family and interact well with the family.
