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What's it like to come for Rape Crisis support?

All survivors of sexual violence are deserving of support.

We know that deciding to reach out for support can be difficult. It’s important to know that when you’re ready to get in touch, you will be believed, respected, and supported.

Where can I get help?

The Rape Crisis Scotland helpline offers short-term confidential support. Our 17 member centres can offer support that is longer term, can be face to face and in your local area. You can find details of your nearest Rape Crisis Centre here. All Rape Crisis support is free of charge.

What’s a Rape Crisis Centre like?

Rape Crisis Centres are safe, secure, and welcoming spaces where highly trained support workers will help you with your needs at your own pace.

Rape Crisis Centres are based in communities. Many Centres look like houses or offices from the outside. Inside, Rape Crisis Centres have private support rooms where you can meet with your support practitioner. Rape Crisis Centres. Support rooms are calming and comfortable spaces.

All staff at Rape Crisis Centres will respect your anonymity and all support sessions are confidential. If you have any concerns about safety, confidentiality or privacy, your local centre will be able to discuss these with you.

What is Rape Crisis support?

Rape Crisis support is highly specialised emotional and sometimes practical support to survivors of sexual violence. You can come for support whether or not you want to report what happened to you to the police and whether what happened took place recently or a long time ago.

Rape Crisis Centres offer a range of support options. These include short-term crisis support, one to one emotional support, counselling, group support and art or creativity based sessions. Many survivors face problems with their workplace or place of education, social security or housing due to what happened and support workers can sometimes help find ways to resolve these practical matters.

Support can be offered on a drop-in basis, by appointment or by outreach at a location closer to where you live.

If you need an interpreter or have other access needs, your local centre can work with you to make sure you can access the support you need.

What will coming for support be like?

The first time you pick up the phone or walk through the door might feel frightening but most of the time, survivors feel a huge sense of relief after taking the first leap and reaching out to us.

No-one will push you to talk or give any detail about anything you don’t want to discuss. 

Here’s what some Rape Crisis staff said they would want a survivor to know about what coming for support might be like…

We are here to listen to what you have to say, to believe what you say, to talk about what you need to talk about, to go at your pace. This space is for you.

We are here to listen, believe and support and hope that all survivors who work with us leave further along their healing journey. We believe that no survivor is to blame for being abused.