Sexual Violence Factsheet

How Might You Feel If You Have Been Raped or Sexually Assaulted?

Rape and Sexual Assault is a humiliating, degrading and often terrifying experience. Even if you don't have bruises or scars you may still have been badly hurt physically, psychologically or emotionally. You may experience a range or emotions and reactions. There is no typical way to feel, but it can be helpful to know about some of the feelings other women have after being raped. Not all women experience emotional trauma after rape and sexual assault, but many do.

Women's reactions to rape and sexual assault vary. You may:

• Feel numb, dirty, and/or afraid afterwards.

• Blame yourself.

• Feel outraged at the violation of your body.

• Be very angry.

• Not know how you feel or have a lot of confused emotions.

• Cry a lot.

• Want to forget all about the sexual assault, or find that it is too hard to talk about at first.

• Have intense feelings of dislike or hatred for the man who raped you or for men generally, and even for yourself.

• Not be able to get the assault out of your mind, have trouble sleeping and have nightmares.

• Feel too afraid or ashamed to go out.

• Make a point of going out to prove to yourself that you can.

• Have trouble eating or feel sick.

• Not want to have sex or be touched even by people you are close to, or you may feel a great need for physical contact and comfort.

Over time, if the feelings continue, you may think that there is something really wrong with you and be afraid you are going crazy. You may feel very alone. People may try to tell you how you should feel and what you should do, or that "you should have gotten over it by now". This can make you feel worse.

The feelings you have may take a while to change. It helps a lot if you have someone sympathetic to talk to about what happened to you and what you are feeling. Friends or family members, particularly women whom you can trust and talk to, may be all the help you need. If you don't have anyone close to you to talk to, or if their reactions make things harder for you, you can ring or go to a Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) for counselling and support.

Contacts:

• CASA House Counselling and Support Line
  Tel: (03) 9635 3610

• Victorian Sexual Assault Crisis Line (after hours)
  Tel:(03) 9349 1766 or 1800 806 292
  TTY: 03 9344 2744

• Victim Referral and Assistance Service
  Tel:(03) 8662 1700 or 1800 819 817

The information in this factsheet was sourced from the original publication:

'Information for women about rape: a practical guide to the issues and assistance available for women and their friends'

© 1994 Healthsharing Women's Health Resource Service

Parts of the book were selected and then updated for this factsheet 2002

Go to Violence against women introductory page.