Sexual Assault is much too common in today’s day and age. According to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, one out of every six women have been the victim of attempted rape or completed rape. Additionally, undergraduate women have a higher chance of being victims of sexual assault.
Although sexual violence has decreased over the last 20 years, it is still far too prevalent in the modern day. No woman should feel afraid to walk down the street at night alone, or constantly have to watch their drink all night. However, this is the sad reality of being a young woman in college. There are several steps, however, to help you or someone you love who has experienced sexual assault.
- Ensure Your Safety
Prioritizing one’s safety and well-being is the most crucial factor after a sexual assault. Immediately after an assault, one may experience derealization, a sense of feeling overwhelmed, or shock. These reactions are normal. After experiencing trauma, the body’s sympathetic nervous system, which controls one’s fight or flight response, is in overdrive. This overload of nerves is what creates these uncomfortable feelings. It is helpful to resort to any coping mechanisms that have helped you through prior stressful events.
- Reach out for support
After experiencing a sexual assault, it is common and valid to shy away from those who you were close to. It can be beneficial to reach out to friends or family, a trusted adult or anyone you feel completely comfortable opening up to. Sexual trauma can result in the survivor feeling guilt, manifesting through depression, anxiety and dissociation. If you prefer to talk to someone anonymously, there are numerous hotlines available 24/7. The National Sexual Assault Hotline offers a trained staff member in your area to listen to your story, validate your experience, and offer confidential support. This service is completely free and provides a great amount of information on further steps you can take.
- Seek medical attention
For many survivors of sexual assault, there is a reluctance to go forward with seeking medical assistance. The choice to receive medical support is completely up to the survivor. However, there are many benefits to receiving medical care.
Medical care professionals can address any urgent concerns, and ensure your physical well-being. Additionally, the medical facility can provide you with a rape kit, which is a sexual assault forensic exam that is used to collect evidence of the trauma. These kits are conducted by SANEs (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners) who are trained for this exact scenario, and the SANE will ask for consent before every step of the process. If you are looking to get a rape kit done, it is helpful if you avoid showering, changing clothes, brushing your hair and bathing. These acts can get rid of DNA from the perpetrator.
Deciding to go through with a rape kit can be very difficult and scary, as it is the first step to acknowledging what you have gone through. The hospital provides ample mental, psychological and physical assistance throughout the entire process, and puts your needs and comfort above all else. Some facilities have the capability to freeze the sample to save for later access if you are not ready to file a police report.
- Process your experience
It is extremely common to want to push the event aside and attempt to move on. Unfortunately, there is no going around, over or under healing; you have to go through it. Healthy coping habits are essential, such as journaling, painting, meditating or practicing yoga. It is also extremely beneficial to participate in therapy, specifically with a clinician who is trained to address sexual trauma. This individual can help you look inward, and reassure you that what happened to you was not your fault.
- Consider legal options
The thought of facing your assailant while testifying in court can be terrifying. It is important to ensure the survivor of the options they have. For some, going forward with punishing their rapist may be what they are adamant about doing. For others, they may not want to testify, but they can get involved in their own form of reclaiming their power. Whatever feels most empowering to the survivor is the only correct answer, and that can be reporting, or choosing not to.
- Continue with ongoing self-care
It can be difficult to return to normal life until you have fully come to terms with the traumatic event. Continuing to attend therapy can be a good choice, or you may also want to consider group therapy. Having a community where you are around individuals who have been through similar traumatizing experiences can promote a safe and healing environment that can strengthen your long-term healing. It is important to remember that healing is not linear, and there will be bad days. Listen to yourself and what you need, and never push yourself to do something you are not comfortable with. Taking everything one day at a time is the most important takeaway for long-term healing.
If you are a victim of sexual assault, it is difficult to know where to look for help in the midst of this overwhelming time. It is important to know that what happened to you is not your fault, and you have every right to speak up and take back the power that was taken from you. No person has the right to take advantage of you and your body, no matter the circumstances, no matter the relation, no matter what.
If you or anyone you know has been the victim of sexual abuse or a sexual assault, please visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) for more information.