Survivors
Helping Others by Sharing Your Story
People who have been sexually abused, or sexually assaulted or raped may understandably find it difficult to even think about, let alone talk about with others.
However, listening to, or reading, the stories of other people who have been similarly affected has helped many people who have been through these awful experiences.
For some, it may help them to realise that they are not alone, and that there are other people out there who have experienced these difficult situations.
Other people report a huge sense of relief that they are not ‘going mad’ when they read about others who feel or have felt depressed, or who may be self-harming or have an eating disorder (or any number of other difficulties) as a result of sexual abuse or rape. It may help them realise that these are common ways that people deal with these experiences.
Another reason people share their stories is that they want to protect others from going through what they have been through. They have first hand knowledge of some of the dangers, and want as many people as possible to be aware and take care of themselves.
The more people who have suffered sexual abuse, sexual assault or rape can talk about it, the more our society becomes aware of these crimes and the people who commit them. This will hopefully make it more difficult for paedophiles and sexual offenders to get away with hurting more girls, boys, men and women.