Female Survivors
You may be looking at our website because something has happened to you or your loved one - either recently or years ago. No matter what or when this happened, we are so glad you found Birchall. We believe you, and are here to support you.
Sexual violence is a term that can be used for any unwanted sexual activity, including childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Sexual violence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, background or how you identify - and we are here to support you.
How can sexual violence impact you?
Sexual violence can have a profound impact on your life. For example, you may be feeling:
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Ashamed or guilty.
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Humiliated or embarrassed.
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Dirty or damaged.
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Numb, shut down or living on autopilot.
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Like this is “your fault” or you are somehow to blame for what happened.
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Angry, sad or confused – or all these at once.
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Afraid or worried you will not be believed – someone may have not believed you or accused you of lying in the past.
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Like you want to protect someone – this could be someone you love.
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Afraid of losing control.
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Threatened or scared of revenge or retaliation.
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Panicked – for example, you may be experiencing flashbacks.
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Hopeless – like you can’t go on or want to die.
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Hurt – you may want to numb this pain with drugs, alcohol or self-harm for example.
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Exhausted – you may struggle to sleep or have nightmares.
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Afraid of certain sounds, situations or smells.
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Agitated – for example, you may need to always be busy, have mood swings or lose your temper easily.
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Like you hate yourself, or want to hurt or punish yourself.
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Scared or afraid – for example, you might be scared to go out or trust people.
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Afraid of other people’s reactions – for example being judged or cast away from your family or community.
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Worried that sharing your story makes you complicit in some way – for example, what you were wearing or your relationship with the person who hurt you.
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Needing to “control” your pain – for example this could include excessive exercise, having rules about eating or rituals to get you through the day.
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Overwhelmed or unable to find words to describe what happened.
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Worried someone thinks you “wanted” what happened or agreed to it.
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Isolated from the rest of the world – like nobody else could ever understand.
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You are struggling with relationships, intimacy or being touched.
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Confused about your sexual identity – for example, whether sexual abuse “makes you gay.”
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Responsible for what happens if you talk about it – you’re going to hurt your loved ones or something bad will happen if you tell.
Or maybe how you are feeling is not even listed here. In any case, you are not alone – these are understandable reactions to traumatic events.
If you are supporting a loved one, you might experience these emotions yourself and could find yourself needing support so you can support them in turn.
Birchall offers specialised support to help you make sense of your story and its impact on your life. The road is long, but well worth travelling: You deserve to live a happy life.
