We know that when we experience harm, one of the first words that can be associated with “what do we do next?” is

means different things to different people

 depending on their perspective - who they are and what they have experienced. The terms and conditions of justice for those who have experienced harm can be very different to those who haven't. 

As feminists have begun to look at systems of oppression, we’ve begun to understand 

. Finding a route to justice should prioritise what makes a survivor of sexual assault feel secure and in control.

We think it starts with owning our stories and how we want to define ourselves. We might want people to know we are a survivor; we might want people to understand that we feel like a victim. We might want no one to know at all, but what is important is that it is 

 if and how we share our experiences. And that 

It can be very scary to share our experiences of harm for a multitude of reasons, so it is totally your decision if and when you want to talk about it. In 

 article on Daily Trojan, Judy Cai and Allen Pham discuss how 

 or report their assault to achieve justice: 

“Many survivors decline to speak out, fearing they will be 

. And even with a multitude of resources and treatments available, 

because survivors are required to reflect on their experiences, however painful or traumatic.”

Regardless of whether you choose to share your story or not, 

you have complete autonomy over how you describe or identify yourself.

 One survivor, Victoria, said that she “really didn’t want to be labeled as any sort of 

”, explaining that she “didn’t want to put myself in that emotionally vulnerable state.” For those like Victoria, seeking justice can be an elusive pursuit. While some believe in taking legal action, others may turn to 

Support processes to help you find closure

When we think about processes that exist within our communities to help us find justice, we hope that they are going to help us find a 

. Whatever course you decide to take, we’d recommend finding

No form of justice is superior to another

, as each is up to us to decide what best fits our own needs and definition of justice. The main focus should be on finding closure that suits us best.

Justice isn’t the same for everyone

The decision on what to do after an assault can be incredibly difficult. It is important to know what options are available and the common emotions associated with these options. In this section, we will go over your options for reporting your experience. Whatever decisions we make, it is most important to remember that 

. Our mental and physical health and safety always comes first. 

No matter what option we choose, we should 

keep a paper trail of all our interactions

. Request meetings with HR over email, get a written evaluation from any healthcare professional, request copies of statements given to the police. Keep these documents in a safe place — they may come in handy!

Weighing your options

Legal proceedings can be complex and different from one country to another. If we are thinking of reporting what happened to us to the police, there are some 

 and issues that may affect your experience. These are just guidelines, we’d always advise checking the full rights with experts in our respective country or territory where we are reporting the assault. 

Understanding the legal consequences

Making the decision to report a rape or sexual assault is a very hard decision for all of us. There's so much to weigh up at a time when we can be feeling overwhelmed, in pain and confused. We can feel a sense of urgency to make a report and then later want to take back our case. It's important to know that

Whilst this is your story and an important part of your journey is to own it, in this note we'll just explain a few things to bear in mind if you retract your case.

There are various reasons to why we take back or retract our case, here are a few:

If you decide that you want to retract your case, there are some things to bear in mind.

Being okay with changing your mind

Deciding to report or not is a big decision that can be difficult to make. While this is our own choice to make,

 it is okay to ask for support before, during, or after making this choice

. This note will discuss the emotions you might be feeling about asking for help, as well as places we can go to receive that support.

It is natural to feel overwhelmed by all of the choices we have surrounding an assault. We might feel tired, unable to think, or bombarded by this added weight. It is okay if we are feeling strong emotions about what to do after the assault. Yet we need to remember that 

we don’t need to feel these things alone and we can ask others for help.

There are many reasons why we might need to ask for support during this time. It might be providing 

, encouragement with our decision to report or not,

about reporting or prosecuting, some space to process, or even just some 

that have become difficult, like tidying or doing the laundry. The things we might ask for help with can vary as each of us might need support in different ways. 

Asking for help can be an important part of our healing. 

The support we are given by others can lift a bit of weight off of our shoulders so that we can use that space to process and begin to heal. Choosing to ask for help or not to ask for help has no bearing on our strength in handling our assault. 

 and taking the steps that we personally need to take to heal. 

Depending on our needs and comfortability, there are many places we can turn to for help or support during any step of our healing journey:

When asking for help, the main thing to keep in mind is our own 

. Even if we identify that we need help and would like to ask for it, remember that 

asking for help from someone in our daily life does not always meant that we need to disclose our assault.

 We might choose to just say we are not feeling well or going through a difficult time and would like a little extra support at work or at home.  

Asking for help can be an important step in our healing process. No matter how we decide to go about receiving support, having that helping hand is beneficial to us in multiple ways. We should always remember that

 our feelings and needs for support are valid and it is okay to reach out when we need to.

Asking for help 

We would like to give our thanks for use of the following resources when constructing this document

Note 1. Justice isn't the same for everyone:

Note 3. Understanding the legal consequences:

Thanks

Making the decision whether to report your assault or not is incredibly hard and may feel overwhelming. Whilst it may be the right action for some of us,

 justice and closure look different for different people

 depending on our location that we should be aware of. 

This note will provide more detail to help you make an informed decision.

Part of: Deciding to report or not

Being okay with changing your mind