The Aftermath of Sexual Violence

Abstract

In 2007, there were 248, 300 victims of sexual assault (U.S. Department of Justice, 2007). This does not include victims that were under twelve years old. Sexual violence is a series problem in the United States, and throughout the world, and it is not going away. Therefore, researching what individuals, in both a profession and personal capacity' can do to best help the victims they come into contact with is crucial. Through personal interviews with sexual violence survivors, I looked at what helped and/or hindered them in the healing process. This paper discusses the experiences of Katie and Sarah, and through their stories, we can see how the reactions of the first people a survivor goes to, are can be either incredibly supportive and healing, or incredibly detrimental and hindering.