Adults

Experiences of sexual violence can affect how you feel about your body, intimacy, and relationships. These impacts may be immediate or emerge over time, and everyone's experience is different. 

You might notice:

• Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe
• Changes in desire or interest in sex
• Feeling disconnected from your body
• Discomfort with touch or closeness
• Confusion, shame, or mixed feelings about intimacy
• Physical reponses such as tension, pain, or numbness during intimacy
• Conflicting or unexpected responses, such as wanting closeness while also feeling unsafe, or feeling unsure about sexual responses.

You are in control of if, when, and how you choose to engage in intimacy. Healing or recovery is not about "fixing" yourself. It is about finding what feels safe and right for you.

While healing is not linear, there are many ways you can start to reconnect at your own pace, with pleasure, intimacy, and safety in your body. This might include seeing a practitioner who specialises in this area, or accessing books, programs or workshops that assist you to reclaim this part of yourself and your identity.

If you are feeling disconnected or triggered, it can help to slow things down. Re-establishing control and choice are key in creating safety in the body. Your body has a strong capacity to heal and transform, given the right care, patience, and support. These impacts can be complex and may take time. Listening to yourself, practicing self-kindness, and recognising change are all part of recovery.

Keep reaching out for support and trust yourself.

Sexual violence can happen at any stage of life, including in older age. SACL Counsellor/Advocates recognise that older adults who have experienced sexual violence may face unique and complex challenges, and we are here to provide respectful, compassionate and tailored support.

For some older people, the violence may be recent. For others, it may relate to experiences from earlier in life that are being revisited or feeling more strongly over time. There is no "right" time to seek support.

Some people may also be reflecting on experiences that occurred at a time when there was less awareness of understanding of sexual violence, which can make it harder to name or talk about what happened.

Older adults may face additional barriers or concerns when seeking help, including:

• Dependence on others for care, where the person responsible for harm may also be a caregiver, partner, or family member
• Health and mobility needs that make it harder to access services or leave unsafe situations
• Fear of not being believed, or of being dismissed due to age-related assumptions
• Social isolation
• Concerns about losing independence, housing, or care arrangements, if the violence is disclosed
• Shame, self-blame, or uncertainty about whether their experience "counts" as sexual violence

Sexual Violence in Aged Care Settings
If sexual violence occurs while you are receiving care at home or living in a residential aged-care facility, there are specific protections in place.

Older adults accessing Commonwealth-funded aged care services are covered by the Serious Incident Reporting Scheme (SIRS). This means care providers are required to report incidents of sexual assault to both the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and police.

You can read further about Elder Sexual Abuse here.

People with disability can face an increased risk of sexual violence, particularly in situations where they rely on others for care, or experience isolation and limited support networks.

They may also face additional barriers or challenges when seeking support, including:

• Fear of not being believed, minimised, or dismissed
• Fear that their care or access to services (such as the NDIS) may be impacted or restricted
• Limited access to communication supports, or difficulty expressing thoughts, especially when experiencing overwhelm or anxiety in settings such as hospitals or police stations
• Limited access to appropriate transport or disability support, particularly after hours
• Challenges leaving routines of medical or social care (eg, medication schedules, sensory needs)
• Power imbalances in care or support relationships, which can make it difficult to say no or report harm
• Uncertainty about whether an experience was okay, or feeling pressure to go along with something.

SACL works with each person's unqiue situation and needs. We will ask if there is anything important for us to know about your communication or access needs so we can support you in a way that feels safe and accessible.

You can find more information about accessibility and inclusion by clicking here.

If you have experienced sexual assault, you have a number of rights and options. It is your choice if, and when, you use them.

You do not have to make decisions straight away. You can take your time, and support is available to help you understand your options at your own pace.

Seeking Medical Care:
You can access medical attention for your health and wellbeing at any time.

Counselling and Support:
If you have experienced a recent sexual assault (within the last two weeks), you can access immediate, free, face-to-face support at any time of the day or night. 
Free, ongoing counselling support is also available through your local CASA.

Reporting to Police:
You can choose to make a report to police. This can happen soon after the assault, or at a later date. There is no right or wrong decision, just what is right for you. 

Forensic Medical Examination and 'Just in Case':
If you choose to report to police, you may be referred for a Forensic Medical Examination (FME). This involves a specially trained doctor or nurse collecting forensic evidence and documenting any injuries. 

You may also choose to have this examination without making a police report straight away. This is called a 'Just in Case' examination or 'JiC'. Evidence can be collected and stored for a period of time, allowing you space to decide what you would like to do next.

You can talk through these options with a SACL Counsellor/Advocate at any time. We can support you to understand what feels right for you, with no pressure to take any particular step.
 

Sexual assault can occur within intimate or romantic relationships. This includes current or former partners, dating relationships, and situationships. It can also occur in the context of polyamorous or non-monogamous relationships.

Sexual violence in these contexts can sometimes be hard to recognise or name. You might care deeply about the person, share a home, children, finances, or social networks. There may also be pressure, coercion, manipulation, or fear that impacts your ability to freely consent.

It is common to feel confused, unsure, or to question your own experience, especially when the person responsible is someone you know or care about.

Sexual assault in intimate relationships is one of the least talked about forms of domestic and family violence, and can include:

• Being pressured, guilted, or coerced into sexual activity
• Sex occurring without your consent, even within an ongoing relationship
• Feeling unable to say no, or that saying no is not respected
• Sexual activity used as a form of control, punishment, or obligation

In any relationship, consent must be freely given every time. Being in a relationship does not mean consent is automatic or ongoing.

In polyamorous or non-monogamous relationships, consent and communication are especially important. Sexual violence can still occur where boundaries are ignored, agreements are broken, or pressure is applied. This is regardless of how a relationship is structured.

If something didn’t feel right, uncomfortable, or unsafe, it is okay to talk about it. You deserve respect, autonomy, and choice in all sexual experiences, and support is available if you need it. 

People can experience sexual assault in any context or setting. This may include people who have been in hospital, a mental health ward, residential care, aged care, disability support services, or prison. 

There may be additional barriers to accessing support, including:

• Fear of not being believed, minimised, or dismissed
• Fear that their care or access to services may be restricted or impacted
• Concerns about judgement when speaking out

All people have the right to support. You can explore your options and access advocacy by contacting SACL.

There are also independent bodies you can make complaints to, alongside the option of speaking with police, depending on the service involved. These include:

• Health Complaints Commissioner - for hospitals, doctors and other health services
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission - for public mental health services and wards
• NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission - for NDIS-funded disability supports and providers
• Disability Services Commissioner - for some state-funded disability services
• Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission - for residental aged-care and home-care services
• Victorian Ombudsman - for public services such as prisons, corrections, and other government services

If the sexual abuse occurred in an institutional setting during childhood (such as a school, church, or residential care), you may also be eligible to apply to the National Redress Scheme.

Sex work is legal in Victoria, and sexual assault is a crime in this context, just as it is in any other. Everyone has the right to go to work and be safe from sexual assault.

Consent must be freely given every time, and it can be withdrawn at any point. Payment or an existing agreement does not mean consent is automatic or ongoing.

A person who has experienced sexual assault in the context of sex work may face additional barriers to accessing support, including:

• Fear of stigma, judgement, and discrimination
• Concerns about not being believed
• The impact of myths and misconceptions about sex work and how services may respond
• Pressure, coercion, or unsafe conditions within work environments
• Concerns about legal, financial, or workplace consequences.

It is also common to feel unsure about whether something "counts", or to question your experience.

SACL advocates for people who engage in sex work, and support your right to a safe working environment. You can contact SACL if you would like to talk about something that has happened, in a way that is confidential, respectful, and free from judgement.