Feeling afraid
Everything you need to know about
You are afraid. Afraid that your photos will be shared online. Afraid of being blamed. Afraid that your parents won’t understand. Afraid of your family’s reaction. Afraid that the threats will be carried out. Afraid that something bad will happen to you or to someone you care about if you speak out. Feeling afraid is preventing you from telling anyone. What can you do?
‘’I have always felt very threatened. People who abused me always knew where I lived and who I lived with. I could never talk about it.’’
- Roos
The fear of the consequences if you disclose can be so overwhelming that you would do anything to keep it hidden. It is not strange that you feel afraid. You are not the only one who feels this way. 82% of people who experience sexual abuse cannot talk about their experience, partly due to feeling afraid.
What can you do if you are afraid?
- Write about it
It can feel good to write down what happened and write about your feelings. This can be a first step to disclosing the experience with people around you. You can write down your story by clicking on the button below. You can choose to keep your written story to yourself or to share it (anonymously) on our story page. Almost 300 others have gone before you.
- Tell someone you trust
Talking to someone you trust can bring relief. You might be very afraid of how people around you will react, fearing that you will be blamed. However, their response is often much better than you expected. Read, for example, Merel's story.
- People who can help you
If you don’t have anyone in your surroundings you can or dare to talk to, you can ask questions or chat anonymously with a professional from Centrum Seksueel Geweld, Fier, and Helpwanted. Together with the professional you can figure out what your next step could be.
- Good to remember
Please know that it is not your fault: you did nothing wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. The person who shames, threatens, blackmails, or abuses you is the one at fault.
Also know that the person who is blackmailing or threatening you will not keep their promises. Therefore, do not send any more images, do not agree to meet, and do not transfer any money.
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