Helplines in India.

Hotlines are available in India for the victims of sexual abuse, assault and harassment. It's free and confidential.

Sexual abuse is a form sexual violence where a person uses power or coercion to force you into unwanted sexual activity. You can be a victim of sexual abuse if you are a woman, man or child. Other forms of sexual violence are sexual assault, such as rape, and sexual harassment, which is sexual behaviour toward you that is unwelcome or offensive.

If you are a victim of sexual violence, talking about your experience with people who understand can help you recover. Seek free help from 18 sexual abuse, assault and harassment hotlines in India if you face:

Examples of sexual violence:

• Being kissed or touched without your consent or being made, by coercion or force, to touch or kiss someone
• An organ or an object being put into your vagina (rape), or anus or mouth (sodomy), without your consent
• Sexual abuse or assault from someone in your family (incest)
• Being used sexually in a way that is humiliating
• Being used sexually while you were very drunk, drugged, unconscious, or unable to say NO
• Catcalls and whistles that make you feel uncomfortable or objectified
• Being spoken to in a sexual way that you find offensive or degrading
• Being forced or coerced to have sex without protection from sexually transmitted diseases

Effects of sexual violence:

• Feeling as if everyone could see what happened to you
• Engaging in self-harm or self-mutilation
• An urge to use alcohol, drugs, or gamble excessively
• Feeling unsafe and scared that it would happen again
• A decline in your physical and mental health
• Not being able to fall or stay asleep
• Feeling overwhelmed with a range of emotions, like anger, fear, numbness
• Changes (either loss or increase) in your appetite

As a victim of sexual violence you could be feeling furious, desperate, revengeful, hopeless, and empty, all at the same time. This is a perfectly normal response to such a traumatizing event.

If you’re struggling with finding meaning in what occurred to you, talking to hotline staff in India might help you calm your thoughts and emotions and find a path forward. You don’t have to be alone on your journey toward recovery.

If you are ready to talk to someone about your experience of sexual abuse, assault or harassment, you can contact a hotline in India for free and confidential support.