Helplines in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand.

Have you experienced sexual abuse, assault or harassment? Get confidential support from a hotline in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand

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 1 sexual abuse, assault and harassment hotlines in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand if you face:

Examples of sexual violence:

• Being coerced, threatened or forced to perform any sort of sexual activity
• Being used sexually in a way that is humiliating
• Being forced or coerced to have sex without protection from sexually transmitted diseases
• Sexual photos or videos being posted online without your consent
• Experiencing an attempted rape or sodomy
• An organ or an object being put into your vagina (rape), or anus or mouth (sodomy), without your consent
• Being spoken to in a sexual way that you find offensive or degrading
• Catcalls and whistles that make you feel uncomfortable or objectified

Effects of sexual violence:

• Feeling dirty, damaged, and broken
• Feeling unsafe and scared that it would happen again
• Minimizing the abuse as not being as severe as someone else’s
• Feeling guilty about the sexual abuse
• Not being able to fall or stay asleep
• Losing trust in people in general
• Engaging in self-harm or self-mutilation
• Changes (either loss or increase) in your appetite

If you have experienced sexual violence, your emotions and thoughts are likely to change all the time in an attempt to make sense of what happened to you. It can be confusing trying to figure it out all on your own.

Coping with the trauma of sexual violence can be even harder if you are trying to do it on your own. There is no right or wrong way to recover from the abuse. However, having someone to talk to in Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand can make the process easier.

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