The reporting process
It is important to have an idea of what the reporting process is like before actually deciding to report your sexual assault as it might actually be a more complicated process than you think. You also need to decide if your going to report to the police or another authority like your university and become knowledgeable on the laws of sexual assault.
If you understand the process of reporting it makes the decision much easier, as you feel it may be too complicated and confusing and may put you off or on the other hand may make you feel more ready to tell your story.
Some people’s experiences reporting their sexual assault are not pleasant and so puts others off from reporting but others say they find the process much easier than they thought. Therefore, it all depends on the system your reporting your sexual assault to.
It may not be as easy as researching online about this and you may have to seek advice in other ways such as advocacy groups and activists who can give you knowledge. You may be wondering how should I report sexual assault or child sexual abuse? NGOs are there to answer any of your questions or concerns all you need to do is contact them.
Look for NGOs near you
It will make it harder to report your sexual assault if you feel as though your not supported enough. You will be surprised how much support there actually is for sexual assault victims and how much they do for them, such as providing legal advice and counselling services for them.
If you feel as though your not quite ready to report your sexual assault seek guidance from your local NGO and they will provide you will all the information you need to know. It may be difficult to know where to look for help, the best way to start may be to contact a sexual assault hotline and see if they can connect you to any organisations to receive help.
This could also be beneficial if you don’t want to report your assault and just want to talk to someone about your experience without feeling judged as it is a safe space where you can revive any help you need.
The outcome
Before reporting ask yourself what the likely outcome of your actions will be and if you want them to be convicted or not. If there is plenty of strong evidence against your perpetrator you should report it as you have nothing to lose.
However, the sad reality is that the criminal justice system has a poor conviction rate for rape and so you need to be prepared for the worse and that your case will be dropped. Even if you feel there is a low chance of the perpetrator being convicted you should still try and not go down without a fight, but you need to be emotionally prepared for the best or worse.
