Unfortunately there are more and more people in America that are touched by some type of assault on a personal level. Some may be more violent than others, but all assaults are traumatizing to the victims and need to be dealt with properly.
Instructions
1. Know the signs of still being affected by an assault. Some people will close off part of their emotions in order to cope with the assault initially and only later when they feel safe will those repressed emotions come to surface. If you were assaulted a long time ago but you're still experiencing signs of trauma, it's completely normal to begin to feel the pain all over again.
2. Realize that there are many types of assault such as sexual, domestic violence, random violence, elderly or child abuse and many more. Each type of assault can have very different effects on the person who has been violated and they all should be handled in a way specific to the type of violence that was committed.
3. Research ways to deal with feelings and emotions that are a result of the assault like anger, fear, depression and low self-esteem. If someone you love has been assaulted, look for ways that you can help them deal with it. The first step is to learn as much as you can about the type of violence committed. This will help give you perspective when dealing with victims.
4. Stop the cycle of abuse. Often times, victims of abuse will grow up and against all better judgment, commit the same crimes that were committed against them or seek out relationships that involve the same dynamics they became familiar with. It takes intervention to stop these cycles from continuing.
5. Seek professional help to deal with the assault. Sometimes it's not enough to use self-help techniques or to talk to friends or family. A trained professional can help tremendously and provide objective observations and suggestions without bringing the anger that someone who is close to the victim may bring when they try and help.
