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If you know someone who has been
sexually assaulted, s/he needs you to provide support and understanding,
and to do so in a non-judgmental and non-controlling way. When someone
has been sexually assaulted, his/her sense of control and power over his/her
life has been taken away. In order to regain that control, s/he needs
to make decisions about reporting to the police, medical attention,
counseling and whom to tell. Each person needs to move at his/her own pace
and you can help by making sure s/he has the information and support to
make his/her own decisions. Some of the things that you can do to assist
in the victim's recovery are:
- Listen and help him/her feel
safe and secure.
- Accept that the feelings s/he
may be experiencing are normal.
- Understand that s/he may be
afraid, and for the moment, may need a place to feel safe.
- Encourage the person to talk,
but understand that each person has his/her own recovery pace.
- Let the person know that you
are available to listen to him/her. S/he needs to decide what to tell
you and when.
- Put the person's needs before
your own. If you need someone to talk to about how you feel or how to
provide assistance to your friend, you can contact us at the Department
of Sexual Assault Services and Crime Victim Assistance.
Back to Sexual Violence, Assault, and Rape page
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