Confused on how to deal with sexual harassment? | Top ways to handle it.

Being sexually abused hurts not just because of the shame and flashbacks but because you feel like you can’t tell anyone about it. Are you worried about how to deal with sexual harassment? I will tell you the best ways to handle the situation better.

Most sexual harassment victims result in engaging in self-destructive activities such as self-harm, eating disorders, or substance misuse.

How to deal with sexual harassment

1. Report the case and tell the police as much as possible

If the attack is the subject of a police investigation or criminal prosecution, any evidence relating to it is “disclosable.” Your information becomes very private as it can be. This may necessitate its production in court.

Unless there is a concern that you or anyone else is in danger of significant harm, information on you will not get to other departments without your consent if there is no investigation or prosecution.

2. Write your story

For fifteen minutes, write about your harassment experience. Write down the facts first, then reflect on how you felt at the time and how you feel now. Then take some time to think about your sentiments and write them down. It’s fine to be a little sloppy.

After writing, you may feel upset, but this should pass in a few hours. We hope that writing down your story will help you distance yourself from the pain and lessen its impact.

3. Reach out for support

It’s critical to contact someone you trust for assistance once you feel more physically safe. Victims of sexual harassment frequently experience despair, anxiety, and dissociation afterward.

In a culture where victim-blaming and doubt surround sexual assault reports (which can compound trauma) critical it’s to confide in someone, you can completely trust. Try to find someone who will not interrogate the details of the event but will simply comfort you.

4. Seek Medical Attention

Although many persons who have been sexually assaulted may be hesitant to seek expert medical help. However, going to a hospital or medical rape center following an assault is the best.

Ultimately, each survivor must make their own decision about whether or not to seek medical help, based on their particular emotional, physical, and psychological requirements. However, there are numerous advantages to seeking medical help right away, including:

• Being given a forensic examination (rape kit) to obtain DNA and other evidence.
• Having skilled healthcare providers provide emotional support
• Checking if there was a disease infection
• Becoming aware of available resources, such as counseling programs and resources for continued medical care.

5. Reconnect to your body and feelings

Because your neurological system is hypersensitive after a rape or sexual harassment, you may try to numb yourself or avoid making any associations with the experience. You can’t, however, suppress your emotions selectively.

When you turn off the negative feelings, you turn off your self-awareness and your ability for joy. You end up emotionally and physically separated, existing but not completely living.

Some reasons why people don’t immediately, or ever, tell that they have experienced sexual harassment:

• illiteracy

  Victims of sexual assault may be unaware that they have legal rights. They may be unaware that they are of the obligation to report to the police and get some medical checkups.

• Shame

  Even though sexual assault is never the victim’s fault, many victims believe there is something wrong with them as a result of their experience. You’re less inclined to tell people about something you’re ashamed of.

• Guilt

  When people are sexually assaulted, they often replay the episode in their minds, trying to make sense of what occurred to them. Victims may place responsibility on themselves, resulting in guilt. When someone believes they are guilty of anything, it is difficult to tell others about it.

• Avoidance

  It’s natural for persons who have been sexually abused to desire to “move on” and forget what happened. They feel they can achieve this by refusing to contemplate or speak about what happened. Furthermore, because talking and thinking about a traumatic incident can be difficult, people may avoid doing it altogether.

• Fear

  Worry of not being believed, fear of retaliation, fear of how others will react and treat you, fear of how the authorities would react, fear of being shunned, fear of being judged.

Take away

Sexual harassment causes feelings of embarrassment, guilt, and self-blame, as well as despair and worry. If you’ve been a victim, you should adhere to the steps above. This is because it will help you to deal better with sexual harassment.

Remember, to get the help you need, you need to be courageous and open up to someone you can trust.