Tip Sheet

I Was Sexually Assaulted. What Can I Do?

Every two-and-a-half minutes someone is sexually assaulted in the United States.¹ Sexual assault definitions vary from state to state, but can generally be described as any unwanted sexual contact that occurs without a person’s consent. Perpetrators can be strangers, friends, acquaintances, or family members. Knowing your assailant does not lessen the severity of the crime committed against you.

What Can I Do?

If you have been sexually assaulted:

• Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1–800–656–HOPE.

• Talk to someone you trust.

• Locate your area’s sexual assault coalition for victim services in your community.

• Seek medical attention.

• Consider reporting the incident to law enforcement.

For help locating a sexual assault program in your area, please visit these Web sites:

• Online Directory of Crime Victim Services

• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)

• State Sexual Assault Coalitions

For information regarding your state’s laws on sexual assault, visit these Web sites:

• WomensLaw

• VictimLaw

1. Shannan M. Catalano, Criminal Victimization, 2004, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cv04.pdf.