Nowadays, a lot of important topics are brought to the front, many being long overdue – unfortunately, sexual abuse has been prominent in all spheres, even at work, where you should feel safe and respected. A lot of victims are afraid to come forward and speak out about the abuse they have suffered from their colleagues or higher-ups. This fear stems from a lot of things, and it has kept victims silent for far too long. After such a traumatic event, you need to take certain steps in order to get better. Here is how you can get the right support for your abuse.

Seeing the Patterns of Abuse

Abuse comes in all shapes and sizes, it’s highly likely that you experienced some sort of abuse at least once in your life. Victims can be both male and female, even though there are a lot more cases with female victims, especially in the workplace. It can become tricky whilst dealing with this, some might even dismiss and look past this kind of behavior just because it’s coming from someone who has ‘’more power’’ in the workplace. 

So the victim feels as though it’s better to stay silent. But silence is never the answer, regardless of how aggressive the sexual assault was. The first stage is always the hardest, just accepting that something like that is happening to you can take some time, and it’s okay if the victim doesn’t step forward right away, everyone deals with traumatic instances differently. 

Consult a Lawyer

Every victim should seek justice and comfort after everything they’ve been through, and this means possibly taking legal action against their abusers. In most cases, you’ll need expert legal advice from professionals, so you know what your next steps are. It’s best if you find a good lawyer, who is experienced in this field of law and has already worked on sexual assault cases in the past, so he knows how to approach it correctly.  Listen to their advice and strive to get the justice you rightfully deserve!

Build Your Case

Your chosen lawyer will help you build your case, but it’s important to recall as much information as you can. Obviously, it all depends on the type of abuse you’ve suffered, if it was a one-time thing or a repeated action, and if you sought help at your workplace and got denied – it all plays into your case. Also, is this happening to other employees from your workplace, and is the abuse done by one or multiple people? This process can be extremely draining and hurtful for the victim, but it’s necessary in order to build the case. That’s having a good lawyer who you can trust and rely on is important! 

Go to Counseling

Sexual abuse can cause irreversible damage to the victim, which they’ll have to carry with them for the rest of their lives. The victims often go through a plethora of stages, from shock, denial, guilt, anxiety, and in severe cases, they can even develop post-traumatic stress disorder. This can be extremely isolating and traumatic to go through alone, so it’s best if the victims seek psychological help, in a form of therapy. 

There is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s even suggested for people who went through such a thing, to seek counseling and get the right kind of comfort from a professional. Even if the case isn’t severe, it’s best to talk it out and feel heard.

Connect to Other Victims

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that you are not alone in this! Thousands of people are unfortunately experiencing the same kind of abuse as you, so it’s important not to feel isolated. Try to speak to other victims of sexual abuse and share your experiences with them, talk about your struggles and share your story – chances are you’ll feel more connected to other survivors, as they understand what you’ve been through. 

And feel free to speak to your family and loved ones about it, carrying such a heavy burden is not the best idea, so you might want to speak and be heard. This can also lead to spreading awareness, which is always welcomed!

Sexual abuse is horrible, regardless of the setting, but to experience it at your workplace, where you were supposed to feel safe and protected is a different kind of betrayal. Many victims shy away from speaking out, and this is inevitably creating a never-ending cycle, with that being said this topic needs to be addressed and spread around so that any possible victim sees this. Everyone deserves to speak their truth, get justice and comfort for what they have endured!