One in five women and nearly one in four men have experienced some form of sexual abuse or assault. Acts of sexual assault can range from unwanted touching to rape. Sexual assault can be a one-time event or it can be ongoing over many years. It can occur when you are a child or when you are an adult. The perpetrator of sexual violence may be a stranger or they may be known to the victim such as a friend, family member, or partner. Perpetrators of sexual violence may threaten to harm the victim or their loved ones if they tell someone about the violence or they may tell the victim that no one will believe them. This can result in the person who experienced the assault choosing not to tell anyone and can create more fear and psychological harm. Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault.
People respond differently to sexual assault or abuse. Some individuals fight, some flee, and some freeze. All of these reactions are valid and are normal responses to an abnormal situation. No matter what your reaction was you are not to blame and you did what you needed to do to survive in that moment.
