What is sexual assault?
Vad är sexuella övergrepp? - engelskaA sexual assault means that someone did something sexual to you even though you didn't want to. It is a crime. It is never your fault if it happens to you.
A sexual assault can involve many different things
A sexual assault is anything sexual that someone does to you even though you don't want to. This can happen online or when you meet someone in real life. Here are some examples:
- Touching you in a sexual way.
- Having sex with you. This is also called rape.
- Doing something sexual in front of you, such as masturbation.
- Sending you sexual photos or films.
- Saying something sexual to you.
This is how you might feel after an assault
It is common to feel bad after a sexual assault. You may experience some of the following feelings:
- worry
- anger
- anxiety
- shame
Sometimes the feelings come a long time after the incident happens.
You may also feel pain in your body.
You have the right to get help
It usually feels good to tell someone about what has happened.
You have the right to get help if you have been sexually assaulted. It doesn't matter how the assault happened or who did it.
Contact the police
It can feel difficult to report a sexual assault. But it can also make you feel better. It is a good idea to make a report as soon as possible. But it is also possible to make a report if a long time has passed since it happened. You can get help to make a report to the police. Talk to someone you trust. This could be a friend, family member or someone at a youth clinic, for example.
You can read more on the police website. You can also report a crime here: Polisen.se (link to a website in Swedish, but support is available in several languages).
When and where should I seek medical care?
Seek medical care if someone has had sex with you even though you did not want to. In that case, it is a good idea to have a physical examination as soon as possible. You can seek medical care at:
- a hospital emergency department
- a youth clinic (ungdomsmottagning)
- a healthcare centre (vårdcentral).
Some hospitals have special clinics for people who have been raped.
You can get support and help if you feel bad after an assault. There are places you can call on the phone or chat with online. You can also get help in different languages.
Here are some examples (linked websites are in Swedish, but support is available in several languages):
It is often someone you know
It is common for the person who sexually assaulted you to be someone you know. Such as a partner, friend or someone in your family. It doesn't matter who it is. No one is allowed to do anything to you that you don't want. It is always a case of sexual assault if an adult does something sexual with a child.
Sometimes you can still like the person who did something to you, even if you don't like what they did. This can feel difficult and confusing.
It is never your fault
It is common to feel guilty after a sexual assault. But it is never your fault.
It doesn't matter what you did before, during or after the assault.
Consent means that you clearly show that you are willingly involved.
Consent must be present at all times. Just because you already said yes to something doesn't mean you said yes to all types of sex. You may also want sex one way on one day, but not the next time. Many people believe that you need to scream or fight back when someone does something to you that you don't want. But the most common reaction is to shut down and become unable to speak or move. There is no right or wrong way to react.
