That's probably my issues talking, as a sexual assault survivor. It might not be legally the same but I honestly think our legal definitions of "rape" are extremely out of date. (That's a whole other debate though.)
From Hotch's point of view and how it will affect his character development--it's not going to make a huge amount of difference whether or not there was penile penetration involved. The damage, the trauma, is pretty much the same. It's about the loss of control and the sexualization/objectification the person suffers. (After all, in the average rape, there is very little "physical damage" done. It is a small percentage, one that gets much more attention, where the victim is beaten/stabbed/etc.)
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momijizukamori
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Date: Sep. 25th, 2009 02:56 am (UTC)From Hotch's point of view and how it will affect his character development--it's not going to make a huge amount of difference whether or not there was penile penetration involved. The damage, the trauma, is pretty much the same. It's about the loss of control and the sexualization/objectification the person suffers. (After all, in the average rape, there is very little "physical damage" done. It is a small percentage, one that gets much more attention, where the victim is beaten/stabbed/etc.)