Self-Care For Friends and Family of a Survivor of Sexual Assault

More Than A Victim

Someone you care about told you they were sexually assaulted and now you are having a difficult time coping with it. As RAINN advises, “learning how to manage these feelings can help you support the survivor in your life and can help you feel less overwhelmed.”

Everyone responds to hearing that someone they care about was sexually assaulted differently. RAINN says the following are some of the most common emotions:

• Disbelief. When you first hear about the assault you might be surprised or shocked, and you might have trouble believing the assault happened. After a traumatic experience, it’s common for survivors and those around them to experience denial. It’s important to focus on believing the survivor and acknowledging their story.
• Anger. You might feel anger for a number of reasons: towards yourself for not being able to protect the survivor; towards the survivor for telling you about something that is…

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