Sexual harassment that occurs when a person touches another person or engages in libidinal acts involving another person without their consent is common and needs to be addressed, but did you know that women who are harassed are at risk of developing brain damage?
According to research from the University of Pittsburgh, this damage may be linked to depression, debilitating stress, and sleep disturbance. In addition, the effects can be seen even in physical health, with symptoms of high blood pressure and kidney disease.
Study author Rebecca Thurston explains that these injuries can be triggered at any point in life, both in childhood and adulthood.
Cristina Pereira, a psychoanalyst who specializes in sexual and behavioral therapy, explains that instances of sexual harassment or abuse affect the emotional areas of the brain.
“Women or even men who are abused can have catastrophic consequences that also include post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The psychoanalyst clarifies that these cases hinder affective and sexual relationships. “They can also cause sexual dysfunctions such as: anorgasmia, erectile dysfunction, decreased desire and others.”
Sexual harassment is a crime
Since September 2018, sexual harassment has been a crime in Brazil. According to the Penal Code, the act of gratifying oneself without the consent of another is considered a libidinal act and can lead to a prison sentence of 1 to 5 years.
Cases in Santa Catarina
In Florianopolis, the capital of Santa Catarina, a 47-year-old doctor was arrested on suspicion of violence and sexual harassment against women. In December 2020, he was supposed to palpate the breasts and genitals of a 19-year-old girl at the Governador Celso Ramos hospital. The case takes place in the mystery of justice.
In Jaragua do Sul, upstate, a 27-year-old woman was sexually harassed on a bus, fell asleep and woke up to a man groping her thighs. The man denied touching the victim, who claimed to have pretended to be asleep after being embarrassed.
Source: Ndmais
