The government within each country defines ‘rape’ within its people protection guidelines.

The legal definition of rape in UK is when a person intentionally penetrates another’s vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without the other person’s consent. Assault by penetration is when a person penetrates another person’s vagina or anus with any part of the body other than a penis, or by using an object, without the person’s consent.

The legal definition of rape in USA is “The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” USA Department of Justice

What is rape?

Rape is a form of sexual assault, but not all sexual assault is rape. The term rape is often used as a legal definition to specifically include sexual penetration without consent. For its Uniform Crime Reports, the FBI defines rape as “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.” To see how your state legally defines rape and other forms of sexual assault, visit RAINN’s State Law Database.

If you have just been raped or sexually assaulted

• Try to be somewhere that feels safe.
• Keep warm and drink plenty of fluids.
• If possible, see if a friend or someone you trust can be with you.
• Have any injuries treated by your doctor or at a hospital.
• If you want to report the assault, contact the police so they can arrange a forensic examination as soon as possible. They will want to get as much evidence as possible. So, don’t wash, eat or drink.
• If you change your clothes, put them in a bag to give to the police.
• Tell the police if you think you may have been drugged or your drink ‘spiked’. They will arrange for blood and urine tests.
• You might not feel like reporting now, but you might in time. So keep the clothes you were wearing at the time of the assault, don’t wash them and put them in a plastic bag.
• If you wash yourself, use safe products, not household cleaning products as they can be harmful.
• If there is a possibility of pregnancy you may want to take the morning after pill (up to 72 hours after) or have a coil fitted (up to 5 days after). You may need to go to a doctor.
• Go to a doctor if you are worried about sexually transmitted infections.

Feelings after rape and sexual assault

Everyone reacts differently to a traumatic event. Whatever you feel is a natural response to what has happened. Some examples are below. But you might feel none of these. Whatever you feel, it is important to get support if you need this.

If you have been attacked recently you may be in shock. This can mean that you are feeling numb, unemotional, be in total disbelief, be crying, shaking, laughing or physically being sick.

• You may feel to blame and responsible for what has happened.
• You may be having nightmares or experiencing difficulties sleeping.
• You may be “reliving” the events (flashbacks), these can be triggered by a sound, situation or smell and can be very frightening.
• You may have lost confidence, trust in yourself and others.
• You may be feeling worthless or have feelings of self-hatred.
• You may be finding it difficult to cope with day-to-day life.
• You may be feeling angry, irritable and be short-tempered with those close to you.
• You may feel dirty and ashamed about what has happened.
• You may be depressed, upset and tearful a lot of the time.
• You may feel suicidal.
• You may be afraid for example of people, places, being on your own.
• You may be experiencing relationship or sexual difficulties.

It is important to ask for help if you are feeling any of these things.

Coping after sexual violence
Take things at your own pace. There is no right or wrong about how long it can take to come to terms with something like this.

It can be hard to look after yourself when you are going through a traumatic time, but it is important to eat and sleep as well as you can. Everything can seem much harder to cope with when you are tired and run down.

You don’t have to cope alone.

Share your thoughts and feelings about your experience with a trusted friend or family member, partner or another survivor.

The terms rape and ‘sexual assault’ are used simply to differentiate between two types of offence. So what’s the difference?

The unofficial (and official in most countries) definition of rape is when a person intentionally penetrates another’s vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without the other person’s consent. Assault by penetration is when a person penetrates another person’s vagina or anus with any part of the body other than a penis, or by using an object, without the person’s consent.

The overall definition of sexual or indecent assault is an act of physical, psychological and emotional violation in the form of a sexual act, inflicted on someone without their consent. It can involve forcing or manipulating someone to witness or participate in any sexual acts.

Not all cases of sexual assault involve violence, cause physical injury or leave visible marks. Sexual assault can cause severe distress, emotional harm and injuries which can’t be seen – all of which can take a long time to recover from. This is why we use the term ‘assault’, and treat reports just as seriously as those of violent, physical attacks.