Special for Rape Victims

Introduction

The following is a guide for rape victims and for all who want to help them. Because a number of other sources cover basic information on rape, we focus here on providing information that will help you get support, protection, and justice in the aftermath of rape or sexual assault.

Part I, "General Tips", provides you with some basic guidelines that should help you throughout the course of dealing with a rape.

Part II, "Preventing and Dealing with Mistreatment from Others" is designed to help you prevent and deal with abusive reactions that you as a rape victim may experience from others. Though many people's responses to rape victims are improving, there are still too many people who tend to disbelieve, blame, ignore, or even turn against the victim. This section will not only help you prevent these reactions, it should also help you develop the positive support and help you deserve.

Part III, "Obtaining Justice and Protection from the Criminal Justice System". No other crime is treated more poorly by the criminal justice system than rape. But don't despair. Things are improving here too, even in the male dominated field of law enforcement. There are many things you and your support system can do to make the criminal justice system work for you. In Part III, we give you detailed information on how to get the justice and protection you deserve.

A Word of Hope

Today, way too many rape victims continue to encounter the old sexist and racist responses to rape from family, friends, acquaintances, and authorities. As a rape victim, you may encounter some of these reactions, too. Things are definitely not perfect yet.

But it should help you to keep in mind how fast things are changing and what this means for you. Only a generation ago, as recently as 1970, there were no rape crisis centers and no national studies on rape. Police rarely took reports, rape victims rarely got justice, and a rape was almost always considered the fault of the victim.

Today our society is in the midst of making great changes in its understanding of the injuries and injustices of rape. What this means for you is that when you do encounter negative reactions from others you must not give up. It's very important for you to remind yourself that there are other people right in your own town who do understand. There are people close by who are willing to fight for your rights, and people who are willing to help.

The fact that society is in transition also means that even those people who respond poorly to you can often be encouraged and educated to respond better. The old and the new understandings of rape coexist in all of us to one extent or another. Sometimes just by having an advocate or friend talk with the people who are giving you trouble, you can turn their behavior around.

So do not give up. Don't fall into isolation and despair. When you run into people who treat you badly, don't panic. If you're willing to get back up and keep looking for help and support, you're very likely to find it. You may not get a hundred percent of what you deserve, but you will find people who will listen. You will find people who will stand at your side, and people who will fight for your rights. And in the process of carrying out your own fight for justice and support, you'll also be making it that much better for the women who come after you, just as thousands of women have done before you. article more