Advice

If you’ve experienced rape or sexual abuse, it is important to remember two things:

1. First, it is not your fault – no matter what the person who hurt you, or other people said
2. Second, you are not alone

Rape and sexual abuse are more common than many people think. Although no two incidents are the same, it may surprise you that there are thousands of people who will have had similar experiences to you.

You have some choices about what you want to do next.

• If you want to, you can report the incident. If you decide to report the attack, it is also sensible to think about preserving evidence where possible. Before you make any decision, read our section on what to do if you have just been raped.
• You may also decide to seek support. If so, we are able to provide a range of free services. They include our ISVA service, which provides practical help and support, and our counselling service, which can help you come to terms with your experience and move forward with your life. We can also help direct you to other support services. All of our services are available to men, women, children and young people.

If at first you just want to speak to someone anonymously or informally, you could call a helpline or ‘live chat’ with a specialist organisation:

If you suspect someone is being abused, we can help you find out more about the signs of abuse and what action you should take.

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