Rape and Sexual Assault Emergency Checklist

December 6, 2023 Dec 06, 2023 3 min read

The following checklist is designed to help you make quick, effective decisions about what to do if you’ve just been raped or sexually assaulted. While everyone’s circumstances will be different, this list should give you a basic overview of how to take care of yourself in a sexual assault crisis situation.

If you are in need of immediate, serious emergency or medical assistance, call 911 right away (or the equivalent emergency number in your area).

Get to safety

Make sure you’re somewhere relatively safe where you’re no longer in danger of being harmed. If this isn’t possible, do your best to get yourself to as safe of a place as you can.

Call 911 if you need it

If you need immediate emergency medical assistance, call 911 right away. If you think you’re at risk of experiencing further harm from your assailant, you may also want to call 911. Finally, if you would like to report your assault to the authorities immediately, you can do so by calling 911.

(Outside of Canada and the US, call the equivalent emergency number in your area.)

Call someone you trust

Regardless of whether or not you call the police, calling upon someone you trust is an excellent idea at this point in the process. A trusted friend, partner, or family member can provide critical support as you navigate the following steps.

Let’s stay in touch

We’d like to be able to share more of our resources and support with you.

Get to a hospital

Even if you don’t think you require any emergency medical attention, going to the hospital as soon as possible after being raped or sexually assaulted is a very good idea. Nurses can help ensure that you have not incurred any internal injuries, and they can also provide you with emergency contraception, STI medications, and more.

Have a rape kit done

Although not all hospitals offer rape kit exams, having a rape kit done within 72 hours of an assault is a necessary step for victims who wish to pursue legal action against their assailants. To find out how to find a hospital that offers rape kit exams near you, check out our article “Where to Go for a Rape Kit Exam.”

Shower or bathe and change clothes

Once your rape kit exam is finished, you’ll want to start focusing on taking care of yourself. The first step in this process will probably be to take a shower or bath and put on some clean, comfortable clothes.

Rest and take care of yourself

Finally, allow your body the rest it needs. While this could mean putting on your favorite pajamas and crawling into bed for the night, resting doesn’t necessarily have to mean going to sleep.

Rest can also look like eating a nutritious meal, watching a comforting show, or letting yourself cry. Whatever you need to do to take care of yourself, give yourself the time and space you need to grieve what has happened and recuperate physically and emotionally.

Support your mental health

Reaching out to a mental health professional who specializes in working with survivors of sexual assault is an excellent way to support your healing process. If one-on-one therapy is inaccessible to you, try seeking out survivor support groups in your area or other free resources aimed at helping victims recover from sexual trauma. The Go Thrive Go search tool is a great way to find mental health services for survivors in your area, many of which are available for free.

For a more in-depth look at what to do if you’ve been sexually assaulted or raped, check out our article titled “What to Do if You’ve Been Raped or Sexually Assaulted (8 Steps).”

If you’re interested in reporting your experience to the police, check out our article “Where, When, and How to Report Rape or Sexual Assault.”