Your wellbeing as a friend or relative

If you are supporting someone who has been raped or sexually assaulted, it can start to take its toll on your own mental or emotional wellbeing. It is important that you get help too if you need it. If you are finding it difficult to cope, you should book an appointment with your GP and they will give you advice or refer you to appropriate counselling services.

Survivors of rape and sexual assault will also have access to a Young Person’s Advocate (sometimes called a ChISVA) through our service. This person fulfils a number of roles in the weeks and months after the person you care about suffered a rape or sexual assault. But they are also there to help the family or support network of the survivor to cope. If you are in contact with a Young Person’s Advocate, you can also ask them for advice and they may be able to help.

If you would like to know more about how you can support a survivor of a sexual assault as a friend or relative, you can click the ‘Supporting a Survivor’ box below. You can also learn more about the role of the Young Person’s Advocate by clicking the other box.