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I always think about how my life could have been different if had I known back then a story like what ended up happening to me.
– Survivor1
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It took me 5 years to realize I was sexually assaulted – and now I can finally recover.
– Survivor2
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Understanding how the brain responds to emotional stimuli like fear would have saved me over a decade of guilt and anxiety.
– Survivor3
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I felt like my experience was invalid and this made it difficult for me to heal.
– Survivor4
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If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now, I would report it, but I didn’t.
– Survivor5
Struggling to make sense of what happened?
The time after an uncomfortable sexual experience, or after sexual assault, can be confusing and overwhelming. It can take days, weeks, months or even years to understand what happened with the majority of survivors not being able to do so at all9. Defining your experience has been linked with an increased likelihood of seeking support services6 and better adjustment7,8. If you feel something uncomfortable took place but are not sure how to define it, these resources can help. Even if you're not sure what to make out of your experience, don't let it discourage you from exploring your options and seeking support.
Make sense of what happened
Understand your responses and key definitions, uncover perpetrator tactics and read survivor stories to help you piece together what happened.
Navigate your options
You have options and don’t have to navigate them alone. Find out what some of them are and read about the benefits and possible risks to help you evaluate what’s right for you
Take action
Find helpful resources to get started if you’ve decided to move forward with one or more options—when you are ready, and should you choose to do so.
Sources:
1. I Was Raped and Broken. So I Picked up My Camera Rosem Morton. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/opinions/rosem-morton-sexual-assault-cnnphotos/
2. Thottam, I. (4 November 2019). It took me 5 years to realize I was sexually assulted – and now I can finally recover. The Temper. https://www.thetemper.com/years-to-realize-sexually-assaulted/
3. (17 May 2016). Ferguson, S. 5 Reasons why non-traditional rape narratives are important. Everyday Feminism. https://everydayfeminism.com/2016/05/non-traditional-rape-narratives/
4. Corvo, J. (29 September 2018). Why I Froze and Smiled During My Sexual Assault. Human Parts. https://humanparts.medium.com/why-i-silently-froze-and-smiled-during-my-sexual-assault-7bf5d56deebc
5. (9 October 2018). “I didn’t realise what happened was rape.” BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/92f0eb4e-3cf2-4f5a-840e-3a5ba92d8bea
6. Stoner J.E. & Cramer R.J. (2019). Sexual Violence Victimization Among College Females: A Systematic Review of Rates, Barriers, and Facilitators of Health Service Utilization on Campus. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. 20(4):520-533. doi: 10.1177/1524838017721245
7. Frazier, P. A. (1990). Victim attributions and post-rape trauma. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(2), 298–304. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.2.298
8. Lamb, S. (1996). The Trouble with Blame: Victims, Perpetrators, and Responsibility. Harvard University Press.
9. Wilson, L. & Miller, K. (2016). Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Unacknowledged Rape. Journal of Trauma, Violence and Abuse. 17(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015576391