NHS Supporting victims of sexual abuse

Posted on February 18th, 2022

New NHS campaign to support survivors of sexual assault and abuse As part of Sexual Abuse And Sexual Violence Week (7-13 February), the NHS launched a three-month campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) across the country. SARCs are specialist NHS services that offer practical, medical and emotional support 24/7 to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. New data published from an England-wide survey shows just how much services such as these are needed. Over half of respondents (56%) who have been sexually assaulted or abused did not seek help from any organisation or service after the incident. Nearly half (44%) of people also say they don’t know, or aren’t sure, where to get help if they were sexually assaulted, and 72% of respondents are currently unaware of the support available via the NHS. The key message is if you have been raped, sexually assaulted, or abused, it was not your fault. Sexual violence is a crime, no matter who commits it, or where it happens. No one should be afraid to get help –

if you don’t know where to turn, you can find your nearest SARC online (here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/). The awareness week was also a chance to highlight the work of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation a UK-wide charity dedicated to preventing child abuse, offering support to anyone who has concerns about child sexual abuse and its prevention. They run a Parents Protect website at www.parentsprotect.co.uk for support and advice on protecting children online and offline and provide a confidential helpline (0808 1000 900) for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse– learn more about the helpline and getting advice here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/. Find out more about the charity (here: https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/) and please help communicate these key messages and support services on to others.