Sexual Assault is a crime. Sexual violence is any sexual activity that is done without the victim’s consent.
Sexual Assault is not about love or sex. Sexual Assault is an act motivated by one person’s desire to control and have power over someone else. Assailants seek to dominate, humiliate, and punish their victims. It is not done in response to a sexual urge.
“Sexual Assault is about hurting someone, and NOBODY asks to be hurt.”
Sexual assault is never a victim’s fault, no matter what you said, what you were doing, wearing, drinking, how you were behaving, or even if you had prior intimate relations with the assailant.
Everyone handles crisis differently and there is no way a victim “should be” or “should act”.
It is common for victims of sexual assault to have delayed reactions or disbelief, be scared or angry, feel depressed, guilty, unsafe, be in denial, or be in a state of shock. Victims can appear as if nothing happened or be visibly disturbed, crying, shaking, or even laughing.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED…
Take Care of yourself whether your past experience is recent or in the past. However, If your assault happened in the past 72 hours, you may want to consider:
Everyone handles being sexually assaulted differently; There is no right or wrong way for coping.
Starting Point is a not-for-profit community agency made up of professionals and trained volunteers whose goals are to assure that survivors of sexual assault are treated with dignity and compassion. Our role is to advocate on behalf of the victim through the hospital process and legal system.
Starting Point is ready 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide support to victims of sexual assault, at any point in their journey toward healing. We offer victims: