If You Are Sexually Assaulted 333
If a woman is able to resist her attacker, she will usually be
able to avoid the rape, even if the rapist has a weapon. The
more different ways a woman tries to keep from being raped,
the more likely she is to be able to avoid the rape, or to suffer
fewer injuries and mental health problems from the rape
after ward.
It is impossible to know ahead of time how a woman will
react when someone is trying to rape her. Some women are
filled with rage and feel strength they did not know they had.
Others feel like they cannot move. If this should ever happen
to you, know that you will do what you can.
Here are some ideas that may help you during a sexual assault:
• Do not cry, plead, or give in. It usually does not help. In
fact, women who try this often suffer more injuries than
women who fight back.
• Stay aware. Watch the rapist carefully. There may be times
when he is not watching you, or when he loses his control.
• Try different things. Kick, yell, bargain, trick him—do
whatever you can think of to make him realize you are
not an easy victim. Try to make him realize that you are a
person, not an object.
I have
6 brothers and
they’ll kill you if
you hurt me!
If You Are
Sexually
Assaulted
• If you know the rapist, tell
him how you feel. Do not
let him believe that women like
to be raped. Make him be aware of what he is
doing to you.
• If the rapist is a stranger, try to memorize what he
looks like. How big is he? Does he have scars, marks,
or tatoos? What kind of clothes is he wearing? Try to
remember them so that you can tell the police and warn
the other women in your community.
• Use your best judgement. Only you can decide how
much to fight back. In some rape situations, for example,
during war, the rapist may have no reason to keep you
alive if you resist.
➤ If there are
several people
trying to rape you,
or if the rapist has
a weapon, you can
still resist, but it is
usually better not to
fight back physically.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012