What to do if one is Raped?

Unfortunately, even if someone takes every precaution, date rape can still happen. If you're raped, here are some things that you can do:

If you're injured, go straight to the emergency room - most medical centers and hospital emergency departments have doctors and counselors who have been trained to take care of someone who has been raped.

Call or find a friend, family member, or someone you feel safe with and tell them what happened.
If you want to report the rape, call the police right away.
Preserve all the physical evidence. Don't change clothes or wash.

Write down as much as you can remember about the event.

If you aren't sure what to do, you can also call a rape crisis center. If you don't know the number, may be your local phone book will have hotline numbers.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and get information. You'll have lots of questions as you go through the process - such as whether to report the rape, who to tell, and the kinds of reactions you may get from others.

Rape isn't just physically damaging - it can be emotionally traumatic as well. It may be hard to think or talk about something as personal as being raped by someone you know. But talking with a trained rape crisis counselor or other mental health professional can give you the right emotional attention, care, and support to begin the healing process. Working things through can help prevent lingering problems later on.

Thanks to: "o2" pazhaniraj.i@gmail.com