Rape paralysis

This article is about paralysis in the context of sexual violence in humans. For paralysis in humans and animals in case of threat in general, see tonic immobility. For 'playing dead' in the animal kingdom, see freezing behavior.

In human sexuality, paralysis, also known as rape paralysis,[1] involuntary paralysis,[2] fright (or faint),[3][4] or tonic immobility,[1][3][5] is a natural bodily survival reaction which can be automatically activated by the brain of a person who feels threatened by sexual violence. During this paralysis, one cannot move and cannot say anything, until one feels safe enough again. This survival reaction is a reflex; it automatically occurs without one's conscious choice, and one cannot stop it from happening. Paralysis is a survival reaction which the brain applies to the body whenever all other options to avoid sexual violence (prevent, freeze (hypervigilance), flight, fight, compromise) have been exhausted.[6][7]

In modern science, increasingly more is understood about when, how, and why paralysis occurs. However, public awareness about paralysis is still limited, which has negative consequences for the prevention, punishment and processing of sexual violence. Paralysis is sometimes also called freezing, although scholars prefer avoiding this word usage to prevent confusion with the 'freeze' (hypervigilance) response that usually precedes it (see below).[note 1]

  1. ^ a b van Minnen 2017, p. 76.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Koljonen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Bracha 2004, p. 679–680.
  4. ^ van Minnen 2017, p. 15–16.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Möller was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Bracha 2004, p. 680.
  7. ^ van Minnen 2017, p. 16.


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