Unfortunately, many individuals don’t ever report their past abuse. In fact, a recent study done by RAINN shows that out of every 1000 sexual assaults, only 230 are ever reported to the police.
Why do so many sexual assault victims remain silent about their past abuse?
Why Victims Choose to Stay Silent
RAINN gathered data from police reports in order to explain why so many instances of sexual assault go unreported.
Their findings suggest that some of the most common reasons victims chose to speak up about their abuse include:
- To protect themselves of their household from additional crimes by the same offender
- To improve police surveillance in their area
- To punish the offender and stop them from abusing another person
- To receive financial compensation for their losses
They also collected data from individuals who chose not to report their past abuse. Some of the most common reasons included:
- Fear of retaliation
- Fear that the police would not be able to help
- They felt that it was a personal matter that could be resolved without legal intervention
- The abuse was reported to another individual
- They felt their abuse was not significant enough to report
- They did not want the abuser to get into trouble
Your Fight Is Our Fight
Break Your Silence and Work Towards Putting Your Past Behind You
Whatever the reason is for you to remain silent about your past abuse is, it’s important to remember that speaking up about your past can help:
- You move forward from past trauma
- Stop the abuser from abusing other individuals
- You recover financial damages
- Lower the number of active sexual abusers
We understand that bringing up your past is not an easy thing to do. Especially when it involves re-living memories that you likely tried hard to forget. However, your past does not have to define who you are.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of sexual abuse, our team is here to help when you’re ready. Call us to (517) 316-1195 learn more about how we can help you move forward over a free consultation.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
