Sexual Assault Recovery

We support all victims of sexual assault in their recovery journey, regardless of when the incident happened, or who the alleged abuser is.

Victims may experience insomnia, inability to focus, anxiety attacks, feelings of depression, inability to meet new people, and flashbacks of the incidents. The onset of these experiences could happen right after an incident of SA, or even years or decades later.

Victims may also ask these questions:

Why did this happen to me? 

It is not your fault, you did not do anything to deserve to be sexually assaulted. Sexual assault can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, race, and religion. 

When will I be okay? When will this be over? When will I stop feeling so bad?

Recovery takes time. There is no right way to react and everyone’s experience is different. 

Know that you are not alone. There are professionals like us who can support you in your journey of recovery. Reach out to someone you trust or contact us at 6476 1482 (weekdays 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 5pm; except public holidays) / projectstart@carecorner.org.sg.

I feel like I am going crazy!

Sexual assault can be traumatic and cause our bodies to respond in shock. Your emotions may swing from intense emotional pain to complete numbness. Your sleep may be affected and the sense of a lack of safety may cause you to remain in a hypervigilant or uptight state. This in turn affects your overall well being. 

These bodily responses are common responses as your body tries to cope with what happened. It might even take place years after the incident of sexual assault. 

When the impact of SA is affecting your everyday life, seek professional help to reduce the disturbance to your life and start on a healing journey. As you continue to work through the issues, things tend to get better after a few months.

Following the traumatic incident, some victims may feel embarrassed, ashamed, sad, confused, fearful, helpless, guilty and angry. They may also struggle with trust, consensual sex, relationship with a partner, lack of appetite, nightmares and flashbacks, lack of sleep and feelings of hopelessness.

If you are experiencing some of these signs, we are here to support you. We strongly encourage you to seek professional help with us or a mental health professional. 

Sexual assault can be terrifying, shocking and traumatic. It can cause negative psychological, emotional and physical effects on a victim. However, getting the right support can help you manage the negative impact and reduce possible longer term mental health concerns.

Our team takes a victim-centric approach and applies trauma-informed principles when working with victims of sexual assualt. Victims can contact us directly via telephone, email or walk-in to our centre. They can also be referred by the police, hospital, family and friends with their consent for services. 

Step 1: Gathering of information

When the victim or an organisation makes contact with our agency, we will collect basic information on the sexual assualt and the victim. The purpose is to ensure that we are the appropriate agency to meet the victim’s needs. 

Step 2: Supporting the victim

If the services provided by CCPS are able to meet the victim’s needs, a fixed case worker will contact the victim directly. The case worker will develop a safety plan and also work with the victim on developing coping skills, strategies that can help with their short-term and long-term recovery. 

The case worker may also make external referrals should the victim need further therapy services.

Kindly note that for all emergencies and immediate safety concerns, please contact the police (999) or call for an ambulance (995). If you have thoughts of self harm including suicide, please contact SOS 24-hour hotline at 1800-221 4444.

• Thank them for telling you: It takes courage to share. Acknowledge how difficult it is for someone to share details of the traumatic incident. Appreciate them for their trust and let them know that you believe them as it encourages them to trust others again. 
• Ask how you can support: While your first instinct might be to offer advice to your loved one, it is important to let them make their own decisions and choices about what to do next. If this is the first time the victim has disclosed the information, it is likely that they may not know what support you may be able to provide. As such, it is important to ask how you can support.
• Listen without judgement: Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. It is normal to have strong reactions such as anger, sadness or shock when someone you care shares an experience of sexual assualt. Note that sometimes such reactions can make the victim feel responsible, ashamed and discourage them from sharing further or seeking help. Listen without interrupting them and do not ask for details that they do not wish to disclose. 
• Respect their privacy & decisions: Justice means different things to different people. Attempting to seek ‘justice’ might not be in the victim’s best interest or meet their needs. 
• Encourage them to seek help: We have professionals who can work with them to support them better. 
• Keep supporting: Healing and recovery takes time, support them along the way. It is also important to seek support for yourself if you need to talk to someone and process your emotions.

Even if the victim is unwilling to seek help right now, we can still work with you on how to support the victim. Contact us at 6476 1482 (weekdays 10am – 1pm, 2pm – 5pm; except public holidays) / projectstart@carecorner.org.sg.