We know that there are several thousands of sexual abuse victims each year. Unfortunately, the number of reports doesn’t match up to the number of incidents. Survivors of sexual abuse are often afraid to speak up against their abuser for numerous reasons. It’s vital for survivors to speak up for their situation and to help others in similar situations.
Fear of Retaliation
Many abusers use their position of power to strike fear in survivors. They tell their victims that they will inflict more harm on them if they report them to the police. It’s easy to believe the threats once you have already suffered at someone’s hands.
The fear of retaliation is often enough to get someone to avoid reporting their abuse.
Fear of Not Being Believed
Unfortunately, one of the most common problems that survivors run into is they tell their story, only for people not to believe them. This scenario is often true when the alleged accuser has a high character, and people do not expect such actions. Survivors may not report the abuse if they believe nobody will believe them.
Feelings of Self-Guilt
Survivors often feel that their abuse occurred because of something they did. They convince themselves that they were at fault for the incident, so they never report it. In some cases, the abuser will try to make the survivor feel like they were part of the reason the abuse occurred.
It’s important to report sexual abuse. Not only does it help you pursue justice, but it could potentially prevent others from experiencing the same fate.
At Lanier Law Group, P.A., our North Carolina sexual abuse lawyers work to help you understand your rights. We’ll guide you through the process of filing a civil lawsuit against your abuser so that you can obtain justice when you need it most. We don’t back down when our clients need us most.
Call us at (855) 757-4204 today and understand your options.