The feelings, emotions and behaviors that survivor's have all normal responses to being sexually assaulted.

Embarrassment and Humiliation
Due to the very nature of the type of violence this is, its aftermath can certainly create feeling ashamed, humiliation, and embarrassment. This can also be compacted by society views that a female should have somehow protected herself or not allowed it to happen. This is actually misinformation because a survivor is not to blame for the rape.

Self-blame
Many survivors of sexual assault blame themselves for the assault. They may blame themselves because they felt they could have done more to protect themselves, for what they were wearing, for something they did leading up to the assault, and any behavior that they feel made the assault occur. They may also blame themselves if they had been doing something illegal, like taking drugs, or if they had been under the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, many people in our communities reinforce this blame on a survivor. Again, this is misinformation because "there is no behavior in which rape is the logical consequence."¹ Perpetrators of this assault are solely responsible and this burden of responsibility does not belong to a survivor.

Some survivors may blame themselves because it aids in making sense of something that never should have happened. Sometimes blaming oneself is a way or an attempt to regain some control.

Guilt and/or Shame
Guilt can often be a positive thing for us because it can be used for learning and holding ourselves accountable for our actions. However, guilt is also a common feeling that survivors will feel. It is important to try to work through these feelings of guilt because this is not one of those actions where survivors should be holding themselves accountable. Guilt is often a feeling that will follow self-blame because guilt plays into the belief that the survivor was somehow responsible for the assault.
Shame is a feeling that some survivors may experience beyond guilt. Shame is more about how a survivor feels about themselves as a whole, "I am bad", "I am wrong", or "It is all my fault". This feeling is often reinforced by society's views and once again, is misinformation.

Powerless and Helpless
During a sexual assault pieces of a victim are taken against her will, whether it was by use of physical force or through coercion. A huge feeling of loss of control over oneself as an individual is also part of feeling powerless and helpless. These feelings can also emerge if the survivor resisted or not (which a victim does not have to resist for it to be a sexual assault.)

Grief
It is common to feel grief for the losses a survivor may have experienced because of the sexual assault. These losses may be virginity, hopes, dreams, or they may grieve their life as they knew it before the assault. It may also be a loss of a relationship; this could be dependant on the type of relationship the survivor had with the rapist before the assault. Another part of grief, mourning, is the survivor identifying who she is now after these types of losses.

Denial
Some survivors may respond to the assault by completely blocking it, this can also be an attempt to not feel the pain. It can also be because the assault was such a shock that it is difficult to process what really occurred. Denial may come in the form of minimizing what happened and/or rationalizing it.

Anger and Rage
This reaction is common for some who have been sexually assaulted. It is a justified feeling for what was perpetrated on them but it might also be misdirected. Often, this is a feeling that is not encouraged for females to have in society. It is often, however, one of the most acceptable feelings for males to have. Regardless, it is important to express one's anger that is not harmful to oneself or others.

¹ Marty McNally, RAAP 2000, Denver, Colorado.