Resources
If you are a survivor of sexual abuse, know that you are not alone, and there are many wonderful organizations, articles and publications that can help you on your path to healing. If you are the family member, friend, or loved one of person who has experienced sexual abuse, thank you for supporting them.
This page is dedicated to identifying resources for survivors and loved ones seeking information and resources about preventing, identifying and dealing with the trauma of sexual violence.
Victim Service Organizations
National
RAINN provides services, resources, and information aimed at addressing the needs of sexual abuse survivors. Their website includes information regarding the prevalence and occurrence of sexual violence, advice for loved ones seeking to support a friend or family member, and articles for victims on how to cope with the trauma of sexual assault.
RAINN also operates the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, which allows victims to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. The hotline may be accessed by calling 800.656.HOPE (4673). In addition, RAINN offers an online hotline, in which survivors can chat one-on-one with a trained RAINN support specialist to help seek services like counseling and mental health treatment.
Darkness to Light provides crisis intervention and referral services to people affected by sexual abuse of children, either as survivors seeking resources or individual seeking information to help a loved one. Calls to the Darkness to Light Hotline are automatically routed to a local call center. Their Hotline phone number is 866-FOR-LIGHT (367-5444).
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children operates a Cyber Tipline , which can be used to communicate information to law enforcement about child pornography or child sex trafficking. You may reach their 24-hour Hotline number by dialing 800-THE-LOST (843-5678).
The National Child Abuse Hotline number is 800-4-A-CHILD (422-2253). The hotline can provide local referrals for victims of childhood sexual abuse seeking services in their area. Their centralized call center allows the caller to speak with a counselor, and the hotline also features a language line that can provide services in over 140 languages.
NCADV works to raise awareness about domestic violence, educate and create programming and technical assistance materials, and assists survivors and other persons impacted by domestic violence. The website provides links to domestic violence programs in your area, and also has information regarding the National Domestic Violence Hotline, accessible at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
Pandora’s Project provides a list of crisis support and resources for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. The website also provides links to articles and essays about sexual assault victimization and prevalence.
OVC operates the Online Directory of Crime Victim Services, a searchable database dedicated to helping crime victims identify service providers and agencies in the United States and abroad. In addition, CrimeVictims.gov provides referrals for crime victim services and victim assistance programs for survivors seeking assistance.
International
The Center provides services to Americans in civilian and military populations overseas who are suffering from domestic violence. In addition to providing advocacy, safety planning and case management, the center assists victims with relocation, emergency funds for housing and childcare, and funds for payment of legal fees.
The Department of Defense (DOD) operates the Safe Helpline, which is a groundbreaking crisis support service for members of the DOD community affected by sexual assault. The hotline provides live, one-on-one support and information to the worldwide DOD community. The service is completely confidential, anonymous and available worldwide, 24/7, by click, call or text. The Hotline number is 877-995-5247.
This website provides an inventory of hotlines, shelters, refuges, crisis centers and women’s organizations, searchable by country, in addition to an index of domestic violence resources in over 70 languages.
TELL is dedicated to providing effective support and counseling services to Japan’s international community. Services include free phone counseling, professional face-to-face evaluations and therapy, and community-wide programs.
The Tokyo Rape Crisis Center was established in 1983 to provide telephone counseling services to victims of sexual violence. The Center also provides medical referral information as needed. The center has a webpage in English [http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/center-hp-english.htm] as well as one in Japanese [http://www.tokyo-rcc.org/].
The Bureau of Consular affairs has a section of their webpage dedicating to helping United States citizen victims of crime overseas. The site lists resources, referral information and services for victims of crime abroad, coordinated through the office of Overseas Citizens Services.
Other Informational Resources
The CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention offers informational links, articles, sample policies and procedures designed to prevent child sexual abuse within youth-serving organizations.
Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. NCTSN is dedicated to improving access to care, treatment and services for children and adolescents exposed to traumatic events. The website’s Sexual Abuse page provides information on ways to identify sexual abuse, policies for creating safe places for children, and the benefits of trauma-focused therapy for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
NSVRC seeks to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, research and promoting resources. NSVRC’s “Resources” page provides links to publications, news outlets, and articles regarding sexual assault victimization.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs operates the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC). OVC offers information and resources for individuals seeking research, technical assistance and publications relating to victims of crime.
The World Health Organization provides publications, research, information and studies pertaining to sexual violence internationally, including the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), a consortium established to promote research on sexual violence and generate empirical data ensuring that sexual violence is recognized as a priority public health program.
Suggested Books
Letters to Survivors: Words of Comfort for Women Recovering from Rape compiles letters from survivors around the world who want to share their personal message of hope after rape. Each woman’s letter addresses a different aspect of recovery from rape, such as recovering trust, coping with depression and suicidal thoughts, self-injury, spirituality/God, how to find support, how to recognize toxic so-called “helpers,” how to work effectively with your therapist, how to handle discouragement, and how to find hope again.
The Courage to Heal is a critically acclaimed guide for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The book offers a hope and a map of the healing journey from victim to survivor. Weaving together personal experience with professional knowledge, the authors provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, and support throughout the healing process.
Bass and Davis also offer other books on sexual violence, including Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child , which was designed to provide practical advice to loved ones trying to support the survivors in their lives while tending to their own needs along the way, and Beginning to Heal: A First Book for Men and Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children, which offers hope and guidance to all survivors starting the healing journey.
This comprehensive handbook offers readers emotional support and practical guidance in overcoming the trauma of rape. The book seeks to help readers learn the most effective ways of dealing with their feelings immediately following an assault, during the subsequent months, and years beyond.
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse was the first book written specifically for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The resource combines practical advice as well as personal stories from male survivors in order to explore strategies for survival and healing.
The Rape Recovery Handbook: A Step By Step Help for Survivors of Sexual Assault provides victims with an effective framework by which they may begin their healing process, and offers insight into how sexual assault can affect many different areas of a person’s life.
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms was written by psychologists and trauma experts Mary Beth Williams and Soili Poijula. In the book, the authors identify techniques and interventions used by PTSD experts around the world to offer trauma survivors – including victims of rape and childhood sexual abuse – effective tools to help conquer their most distressing trauma related symptoms.
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