We provide support services to victims of sexual violence by offering someone who is understanding, well informed about the issue of sexual violence, and who may have information that the survivor may not have considered. Companions also accompany survivors as they go through the difficult processes of medical treatment or through the legal system. Companions will talk with survivors suffering from a recent sexual assault, secondary survivors who may be concerned about friends or loved ones harmed by sexual assault, survivors who are experiencing trauma as a result of a sexual assault in the past, or anyone else who needs understanding and reassurance about their concerns about sexual violence. Date rape occurs much more frequently than stranger rape. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation reports that the home of the victim is the most frequent place for rapes to occur.
Victims describe an extremely wide range of emotions in the immediate hours following the rape.
The effects of rape can last years after the assault has taken place, and the victim can experience feelings as different as degradation and guilt to anger and the desire for revenge. It is important to remember that there is no one way that survivors respond to sexual assault, and that they may be experiencing a broad range of emotional and physical reactions to the assault.