IF YOU ARE RAPED

• Get to a safe place and consider notifying the police.
• To report anonymously, proceed to the emergency room and have them contact the Rape Crisis Center.
• Call RCC for support and information at (843) 448-7273 (Horry County) or (843) 545-5198 (Georgetown County)
  If you become a victim, don’t bathe, don’t brush your teeth, don’t shower, don’t douche, don’t change your clothes, don’t eat, don’t drink, don’t smoke and don’t urinate.
• Get immediate medical attention for possible injuries, sexually transmitted diseases/infections and pregnancy. Keep follow-up medical appointments (testing for possible pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases/infections).

YOU ARE NOT AT FAULT!

• You did not provoke the assault. The responsibility for the sexual assault lies totally with the perpetrator.
• You are not alone. Breaking the silence often begins the healing process.
• Many survivors wonder if their experience is “bad enough to count as rape.” There is no trivial rape. The important thing in defining rape is how you feel about the experience.
• Survivors don’t have to live with the devastating effects of the rape for the rest of their lives. With hard work and good support, most survivors not only heal, but thrive.
• Most survivors find therapy and support groups crucial to recovery. Therapy and support groups can help survivors regain control of their feelings and their lives.
• Survivors can’t change their past. But, through therapy, the sexual assault may no longer seem like the most important thing in their lives.

SEXUAL ASSAULT FACTS!

• Every two and a half minutes a woman is sexually assaulted.
• About 1 out of 3 females and 1 out of 6 males will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime.
• Sexual assault can happen to anyone regardless of gender, race, age, nationality, etc.
• Any person, adult, or child of any age can be sexually assaulted.
• Sexual assault is a violent crime based on the act of power, control, and domination. It has nothing to do with sex or physical attractiveness.
• Typical rapists can be anyone from your neighbor to a friend. There is absolutely no way to tell who is a rapist and who is not.
• Rapists are usually an acquaintance or a friend of the victim.
• A sexual assault victim does NOTHING to deserve being assaulted. The victim is not to blame.
• Sexual assault is a horrifying experience but it does not have to completely destroy your life. RCC CAN help you regain your sense of normalcy after being sexually assaulted.