What is rape?
The word rape means being forced to have sexual intercourse or perform sexual acts when you have not consented to it and statutory rape is when someone over the age of sexual consent has sex with someone under the age of sexual consent (this is regardless of whether or not you have both consented to sex as by law the person that is under the age of consent it not sexually mature enough to make a valid decision).
Rape happens daily, it happens to both males and females, however young girls, particularly teenage girls are more at risk of being attacked. Quite often the rapist will either be an older boy(friend) or someone that you know (or know of).
What if it happens to me?
Everyone deals with an attack different, some want to see justice, some like to seek medical and emotional advice, most don’t realise what options are available to them or have a fear or not being believed so choose to try and pretend it never happened.
There are a few things that anyone who is raped should do and they are;
know that no matter what you were told or are told in the future, the attack was not your fault.
How can being forced to have sex against you will is your fault? its not!
An attacker will try to manipulate you into believing that they did this to you because you did something to encourage it or that you deserved it because your a tease or whatever, regardless of what they say it is them breaking the law, and it is them that is doing wrong, it is their fault, not yours!
Try and seek medical help as soon as possible, this will help you deal with the trauma and pain that comes with being attacked.
One of the first things that you should do after being attacked is seek medical advice, for one if you do choose to report the rape to the police the medical staff will be able to examine you and collect evidence that will help to build a case against the attacker. This means heading straight to a hospital and getting examined asap, although for a lot of people it is hard, it is best if you do not wash, shower or change clothes until after the examination so that all evidence can be collected from you. This gives the police a greater chance of catching the attacker.
It is also important to check for STDs that may have been passed on and internal injuries.
Talk to someone for support. it can be anyone, who you choose is up to you.
You don’t have to face this alone!
A lot of areas will have rape crisis centres where you can also go to for help and support.
Choosing to report the attack
By choosing to report the sexual attack to the police you are potentially protecting someone else from being attacked, it will be a scary time and possibly even more scary if you know the person that done it, however think about how many others might have already been attacked and too scared to tell and how many more might become victims if you choose to stay silent.
Helplines
- R.A.I.N.N – http://www.rainn.org/
- Rape Crisis (UK) – http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/
- Samaritans – http://www.samaritans.org.uk/
- Rape & Sexual Assault Support – http://www.rasasc.org.uk/
- What To Do If You Are Raped -Read this before it happens so that if it ever does happen to you or someone close to you, you can react and have a better chance of catching the culprit....
4 Comments
i was taken advantage of sexual in high school by a boy i was friends with a trusted. i told him sooo much and in return he did the same. he was even cool with my boyfriend. i dnt want to give details but i will say that i did tell someone. my best friend, a counsler, then my grandmother. it was hard for me cuz i feared noone would believe me. wen it got around school (my best friend ended up telling someone y i was crying and then it got around) most ppl didnt believe me and hated me for saying something about it. the boy walked around school as if nothing had ever happened. he would speak to me then smile and thats when others got supicious. i did press charges…. i was afraid to and didnt want to go through the long process…. i should of… cuz he is still out there able to do the same thing to another girl…
the reason he walks around smug is because he feels that he has beaten you, he has manipulated everyone into believing that your lieing. its not too late to press charges, some people come forward years after it happens.
I'm only 14yrs and recently got raped (4days ago) and i havn't told any1 so i decided 2 get 2 know as much bout rape as possible. I tried acting like nothin is wrong and i'm still the same bubbly me. but i'm petrified and scared in the inside. At school people have asked bout my cuts i av on my body and face, (rapist did) and i just said the cat scratched me. but i really wanna tell my cousin cuz she knows theres somethin wrong and even tho she's my age i dunaa if she wud belive me and tell people (even tho she's trustworthy). I really don't want 2 tell my mom cuz she won't belive me. plz help me wat sud i do?
you definatley should at the very least talk to someone that you trust about it, if your afraid that the person you tell wont believe you, you could call a confidential helpline who are there to listen and support you.
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