Let’s start by acknowledging how much courage it takes to seek help after being sexually assaulted. Talking about one of the worst experiences of your life can be incredibly difficult and requires a lot of vulnerability and trust. If you’re a survivor of sexual assault, please know that you are not alone and there are people that will believe and support you in your healing.
In this post, we’ll cover the immediate steps to consider, the options you have, various kinds of healing supports available, and what to expect at a sexual assault centre.
What to do Right After Assault
The first most important step after sexual assault is ensuring your personal safety. Get to a safe place, connect with a safe loved one, or call authorities if you need to. Medical attention is next most important, but that doesn’t have to look like a forensic kit (learn more about those options below). After that, focus on your immediate needs: get something good to eat, hydrate, get yourself feeling comfy and safe, and connect with a safe loved one.
If you are interested in reporting what has happened to you, you can go to your local police service or RCMP detachment. Reports of sexual assault can be made at any time after the incident (Canada has no statute of limitations, meaning you can report at any time in the future). Sometimes the legal process can take several years, and sometimes it moves very quickly; chatting with Victim Services or your local sexual assault centre can help you learn more about the process before deciding what to do.
Can I get help without reporting?
You absolutely can. While reporting sexual assault is certainly an option for survivors, there are a few that we’ll walk you through:
Medical: directly after a sexual assault, we recommend going to the hospital to at least receive an STI screen, Plan B if needed, and a once-over to check for bodily harm. If you wish, you can also elect for a forensic kit (please know that this will trigger the legal process, so choose accordingly).
Legal: before going to make a police report, you can gather more information from lawyers at either the Listen Project or the Shift Project free of charge. You can also speak to Victim Services at your local police station or RCMP detachment for more support and guidance through the legal process before reporting.
Emotional: our hot take (and potentially biased opinion) is that seeking non-judgemental emotional support is the best track to take as a survivor of sexual assault. Whether that’s from a loved one, personal counsellor, or sexual assault centre, we highly encourage not keeping sexual assault to yourself. You have done nothing wrong, and hold none of the blame for what happened to you.
Many counsellors are trauma-informed and trained to work on PTSD recovery, child sexual abuse processing, or offering trauma support after sexual assault. Search for some of those terms and “counselling” in your city to find some practitioners that will fit for you (P.S. sexual assault centres can be a great place to start, and usually offer free counselling and support).
What if I’m not ready to talk about what happened to a counsellor?
That’s totally okay and super normal! Many survivors utilize alternate routes for healing that they report help them significantly, such as exercise, creative expression, being in nature, yoga, or simple breathwork. Many practitioners are becoming more trauma-informed as well, helping to create safe spaces to process trauma in these formats. Search your city for something you might like to try, or give any of these modalities a try by yourself at home!
What can I expect at a sexual assault centre?
Sexual assault centres specialize in supporting survivors of sexualized violence of all kinds, so you can expect a welcoming, non-judgemental environment filled with trauma-informed, client-centered, and confidential social workers or professional counsellors. At the Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre, we offer a 24/7 confidential crisis line for survivors who need immediate support, talk therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and group therapy options. All of our survivor services are completely free and client-led, meaning you choose the direction of your appointment and what you’d like to focus on. Whether that’s safety planning or processing a specific memory, our client services team are here to support whatever you need.
Healing is not a linear path, nor is it a one-size-fits-all treatment; it is deeply personal and unique to each survivor. While accessing support after sexual assault can feel scary, just remember that shame can only survive in the dark. And we don’t want you to live in that dark place alone. While sexual assault can take away our sense of control and choice, remember the choices you do have moving forward, and the agency you have in your own healing path.
Connect with us at SSAIC by giving us a call at 306-244-2294 or emailing us at intake@ssaic.ca. Our 24/7 Crisis Line can be reached at 306-244-2224. Feel free to come visit us at 201 – 506 25th Street East. You can also find us online at ssaic.ca, or on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @ssaic1.
