Impacts of crime on the victims of those crimes go much farther than just to the victim. Families, friends, people who hear about it, and those who either watched it or those who worked at the scene of crime are all impacted emotionally and physically. In the case of Harper from Law and Order, she had many negative impacts on her life. Some of those include effects from the physical aspect of her rape. Possible pregnancy, possible STIs, and being beaten are some of the physical effects that she went through. Her boyfriend was also negatively impacted: after the rape she couldn't cope with what had happened and then she broke up with him. The detectives on her case were all impacted by the crime because they were looking for the man who had raped her and had to ask her questions and see her re-live the experience and see her pain again and again. She was effected long term because she was endlessly afraid of people and the dark. She slept with the lights on and her shoes on. She cut her hair, cut off her relationships with those in her life, moved, and covered her door in locks. Her life was turned upside down because of one night.
Here is a story of a 10 year old girl who was repeatedly raped by the same Mountie who days later murdered a police constable. There are two victims in this case, the little girl and the constable. The life of the little girl can and will never be normal. She will forever carry the burden that as a 10 year old child she was raped numerous times. Emotionally she is scarred and will probably never look at a man with full trust and possibly never be able to be in a romantic relationship with one because of the trauma related to men. Physically it had a huge impact on her life. The little girl asked the man to stop because it hurt her, and later told police that it hurt so bad she couldn't walk. His actions caused her bodily harm because of his rape which she will have to deal with and life with for however long it takes for pediatricians to put it right if they even can. She was afraid of this man, who told her not to tell anyone, and was unsure of what to do and whether or not to tell anyone.
In both of the cases described women, both young and older, are sexually harassed and are severely impacted negatively for the rest of their lives. They are the ones who have to live with the consequences of somebody else's transgression.