Aiding rape victims

Trust in others has been severely damaged so all helping efforts should respect the sexually assaulted person's need for privacy, safety and control. Every effort should be made to protect the victim's name and identifying information throughout the intervention with the victim.

The sexually assaulted person needs to be heard and respected. The person needs to understand options and to move at his or her own pace through the process of recovery. The sexually assaulted person needs to know what services and options are available and who provides them. Similarly, the person needs to know what is outside the scope of any given provider's services.