“I experienced a moment of paralysis.” These words, or something similar, are frequently expressed by victims of sexual assault after the incident, according to Jen Percy’s insightful article in the New York Times Magazine. Often, victims face judgment from investigators and their loved ones. “Why didn’t you fight back?” they may ask, and victims may even question themselves with the same thoughts. But Percy sheds light on the prevailing response and argues for the destigmatization and deeper understanding of a phenomenon called “tonic immobility.” This mechanism is not unique to humans, but rather a survival strategy observed across various animal species, serving the purpose of keeping individuals alive. Percy explains, “Tonic immobility is a survival strategy that has been identified across many classes of animals—insects, fish, reptiles, birds, mammals—and draws its evolutionary power from the fact that many predators seem hard-wired to lose interest in dead prey.”
Tonic immobility offers an explanation as to why many rape victims struggle to articulate their responses to investigators. “Under stress, your brain disconnects from its more recently evolved circuits and strengthens many of the primitive circuits, and then these unconscious reflexes that are very ancient kick in,” explains Amy Arnsten, a respected neuroscientist from Yale. Percy also highlights the increasing efforts to educate healthcare and law enforcement professionals about this issue. Former police officer turned instructor Mike Milnor describes the impact, stating, “I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve had these tough, seasoned, burly cops coming up to me with tears in their eyes, saying how they’re thinking about the victims that they treated poorly, not out of malice, but out of ignorance.” The full story is a challenging yet essential read.
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