|
What To Do If You Are Raped
Seek out a friend or other support person.
This is not the time to be alone. You may feel confused or not sure what to do, so call someone who will offer you emotional support and help you understand your options. Also, call your local rape recovery center hotline. A trained crisis counselor or advocate will be available to listen and offer options, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotline is FREE and confidential.
Get medical attention.
Your safety and health is important. Maryland offers Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE) programs throughout the State at various hospitals. Within 72 hours after an assault, these specialized programs will provide you with medical screening, a forensic examination to collect evidence for prosecution, antibiotics to treat sexually transmitted infections, emergency contraception, and other follow-up referrals. This exam can be completed even if you choose not to involve the police and file a report at this time. You may also elect to go to your own family care physician or obstetrician-gynecologist for medical assessment and treatment.
It is important that you DO NOT shower, clean yourself, or urinate and instead go to the hospital as soon as possible. This will help to preserve evidence.
Report the assault to police.
Reporting a rape does not necessarily commit you to filing charges*. Have someone go with you for support and make the report in the county in which the assault occurred. The sooner you report the rape the better (for investigation purposes). Be prepared to answer many personal questions. The police will have many questions to ask about what happened, some of which might be difficult to answer. It is important that you answer honestly and fully, even if you were engaged in some illegal behavior when the assault happened. Police officers have to make a strong investigative report to give to the prosecutor who places great emphasis on your statements.
Call your local rape recovery center for assistance, support, advocacy, and counseling.
Trained hotline staff are available 24 hours a day to answer questions or just listen to you. They can offer options and help you identify what is best for you. Recovery centers also offer individual counseling, group counseling, and advocacy. An advocate will be available to accompany you if you decide to go to the hospital and if you decide to press charges* and have to attend court. Many of these centers offer these services free of charge or charge a nominal fee based on a sliding scale.
Do not blame yourself.
You may be thinking "if only I hadn't gone there," "what if I hadn't said that," or "I should have done..." Many survivors have these thoughts. At a time when all of your control and power was taken, it is tempting to think there was something you could have done to prevent it. This is not the case, so do not blame or judge yourself. Someone else decided to commit sexual assault against you; you did not decide this. Most often these attacks are planned and you and other survivors were manipulated into situations where you were more vulnerable. Unfortunately, it is most common to be assaulted by someone you know and trust. Your trust has been betrayed and violated. It is not wrong to trust, only for someone else to use it against you.
There is no single reaction to sexual assault.
It is important to know that common feelings may include:
- Shock and numbness
- Powerlessness
- Fear
- Guilt or self-blame
- Isolation
- Anger
- Embarrassment
- Betrayal
Rape Trauma Syndrome.
Survivors commonly experience what is known as Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS), which is characterized by specific reactions that survivors go through after experiencing an assault. There are three stages of RTS. Here are some common elements of each stage:
1. Acute Crisis - This may last from the time of the assault and up to eight weeks after the assault. A survivor may appear outwardly calm and controlled, or may seem expressive and emotional. Each person responds differently to crisis. There is no right or wrong way to respond to a sexual assault. Often a survivor feels overwhelmed by many conflicting emotions.
2. Regression/Denial - This may last for several months or continue indefinitely. There is a strong desire for everything to be and feel normal. In this stage the survivor often tries to forget about the assault and will insist that she is fine. Survivors may feel numb and become disinterested.
3. Resolution - This stage occurs once the survivor leaves the previous stage. Resolution depends on many factors including the type of assault, past trauma or abuse, treatment received, and degree of support from friends and family. This stage is also difficult because powerful feelings may erupt as if the assault just happened yesterday. It is in this stage though, that healing can really occur and survivors are often able to cope with the assault much better.
If you or someone you know is raped, sexually assaulted or abused, this information can help you understand your options and your emotional responses. For more information please contact MCASA at 410-974-4507 or your local rape recovery center.
*In a criminal case, the State's Attorney's Office decides whether or not to proceed with a case and the survivor serves as a witness for the State during prosecution. In a civil case, the survivor decides to proceed with a case by hiring a private attorney to sue the perpetrator for damages.
|
