What are some common feelings among people who have been sexually assaulted or raped recently or in the past?
Feelings of fear: • of being alone or being in a crowd • of assailant returning (making good on threats) • of others finding out, fear of others’ opinions • of things or places which remind them of the attack • of men in general, extreme disturst of men when the perpetrator is male • of her/his children being attacked Feelings of powerlessness, lack of control, helplessness: • feeling that her/his privacy and right to choose have been denied • feeling unable to: change the situation; to stop crying; to stop reliving the experience • to fight back • lack of control over different areas of her/his life to varying degrees Feelings of guilt/self-blame: • for having caused the rape – “If only I hadn’t…” • for not having fought back • for being “stupid” enough to get into that situation • for any or all reactions that s/he is having Feelings of shame or embarassment: • feeling filthy, like “damaged goods” • feeling everyone looks at her/him, knows what happened and judges Feelings of betra
