Empowering Survivors: Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Services
At the YWCA, our Sexual Assault and Rape Crisis Services are dedicated to helping survivors reclaim control and power over their lives while emphasizing that they are never at fault. We stand by survivors and offer support services to empower and uplift them.
At the YWCA, our Survivor Services is a beacon of support and empowerment, ensuring that survivors and their non-offending friends and families access vital advocacy services. We stand in solidarity with survivors assisting them in their healing journey. Our mission is to empower them with resources and knowledge offering support in every decision that they make during their healing journey.
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What We Offer:
Counseling
Our compassionate counselors provide a safe and supportive environment for survivors to heal and grow.
Community Education
We actively engage in community education to promote support for survivors and to empower teens with knowledge about healthy relationships. We also educate on recognizing unhealthy and abusive relationships
YWCA SAFEPLAN Advocates
Our dedicated advocates are available daily when the court is in session, providing invaluable assistance to survivors to obtain protective orders and access other essential legal supports. We also connect survivors to vital YWCA and community services.
All Services Free and Confidential
Your privacy and well-being are paramount to us.
What is Sexual Assault?
Sexual assault is a profoundly distressing experience encompassing any unwelcome sexual attention, contact, or activity. It shatters a person’s trust, autonomy, and sense of security.
Sexual assault can involve one or more individuals who use coercion, manipulation, pressure, threats, or force to engage another person in sexual acts against their will or without their consent due to various circumstances such as age, illness, physical or cognitive disability, unconsciousness, or the influence of substances like alcohol or drugs.
The term “sexual assault” encompasses a broad spectrum of unwanted sexual behaviors and contacts, including sexual abuse, rape, attempted rape, incest, exhibitionism, voyeurism, obscene phone calls, fondling, and sexual harassment. It includes various forms of violation that may differ in legal and societal interpretations.
When someone becomes a survivor of sexual assault, they are faced with a range of options, including whether to seek medical care or report the incident to the police. The choice of which path to take is entirely theirs, although some options are time-sensitive.
How the YWCA Can Support in a Crisis:
Our services are provided free of charge and are completely confidential. Here’s how we help you:
24-Hour Confidential Hotline
Our staff is available around the clock to support survivors of rape, sexual assault, or incest.
Hospital Accompaniment
We provide accompaniment to emergency rooms and police stations. We work closely with Lawrence General Hospital and Holy Family Hospitals in Methuen and Haverhill, which hosts the only Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner’s (SANE) program.
Counseling
We offer individual and group counseling to survivors and non-offending family members and partners.
Referrals
If needed, we can connect you to other professional support services within the community.
Court Advocacy
Our Court Advocates assist survivors in navigating the legal system when seeking protective orders or other legal remedies.
Education Programs
Our in-school education programs reach over 1,400 middle and high school students annually, fostering an understanding of healthy relationships and preventing teen dating violence.
Community Education
Our community education programs are flexible and can be tailored to meet the unique needs of various audiences. We tirelessly raise awareness to work to eradicate sexual assault and rape from our communities.
Am I Eligible for YWCA Rape and Sexual Assault Services?
Our program serves women, men, and teens aged 13 and older living in any of the 163 cities or towns located within Essex County.
If you reside outside of these cities or towns, you may still choose to work with the YWCA or request a referral in your area. Our services are free of charge and open to survivors and non-offending friends or family members who may also need support.
Recognizing the Need for Help:
Understanding that you are never at fault for what happened is crucial. Survivors of sexual assault and rape may experience a wide range of feelings or reactions, including:
Essex County Cities and Towns Served
01810 Andover
01812 Andover
01830 Haverhill
01831 Haverhill
01832 Haverhill
01833 Georgetown
01834 Groveland
01835 Haverhill
01840 Lawrence
01841 Lawrence
01842 Lawrence
01843 Lawrence
01844 Methuen
01845 North Andover
01860 Merrimac
01885 West Boxford
01899 Andover
01901 Lynn
01902 Lynn
01903 Lynn
01904 Lynn
01905 Lynn
01906 Saugus
01907 Swampscott
01908 Nahant
01910 Lynn
01913 Amesbury
01915 Beverly
01921 Boxford
01922 Byfield
01923 Danvers
01929 Essex
01930 Gloucester
01931 Gloucester
01936 Hamilton
01937 Hathorne
01938 Ipswich
01940 Lynnfield
01944 Manchester
01945 Marblehead
01949 Middleton
01950 Newburyport
01951 Newbury
01952 Salisbury
01960 Peabody
01961 Peabody
01965 Prides Crossing
01966 Rockport
01969 Rowley
01970 Salem
01971 Salem
01982 South Hamilton
01983 Topsfield
01984 Wenham
01985 West Newbury
05501 Andover
05544 Andover
Feelings of sadness, grief, anger, shame, or fear
Feelings of powerlessness, isolation, or anxiety
Changes in sexuality, intimacy, or appetite
Substance abuse
Suicidal or desperate thoughts
A spiritual or religious crisis
Self-Harm Behaviors
Flashbacks or sleep disturbances, such as nightmares
These feelings may ebb and flow, sometimes over many years or when triggered. YWCA counselors are specially trained to guide survivors and their loved ones toward healing. We are here to support you through your journey to recovery.
Facts about Sexual Assault:
Almost 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men in Massachusetts have experienced sexual violence other than rape.
Nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men in Massachusetts have encountered rape, physical violence, and stalking from an intimate partner during their lives.
Over half (51.1%) of female victims were raped by an intimate partner, and 40.8% reported being raped by an acquaintance.
Over half (52.4%) of male victims were raped by an acquaintance, and a stranger raped 15.1%.
76.9% of female victims experienced their first rape before age 25, with 42.2% experiencing it before age 18.
27.8% of male victims experienced their first rape at ten or younger.
2,564 sexual assaults were reported to rape crisis centers in Massachusetts in 2010.
In 2005, in cases of stalking where the victim/offender relationship was known, 28% of stalkers were current or former intimate partners.
In Massachusetts, 4,418 adolescents and adults fall victim to sexual assault yearly, 12 people daily and one every two hours.
75% of all survivors know their assailants, and 80% of all rapes occur in the victim's home.
50% of transgender individuals experience sexual violence, with 1 in 10 being sexually assaulted by a healthcare provider.
In a 2004 study surveying transgender survivors of sexual assault, 29% reported female perpetrators.
Teens and Sexual Violence:
Statistics provided by Forge
A 2005 survey of high school students found that 10.8% of girls and 4.2% of adolescent males in grades 9-12 were forced to have sexual intercourse at some point in their lives.
58% of rape victims disclose being raped between 12-24.
Half of all reported acquaintance rapes occur among teenagers.
11% of high school students and 6% of middle school students reported being physically hurt by someone they dated.
Due to underreporting, the prevalence of these crimes may be higher than statistics indicate.
Support & Counseling for Survivors
Individual Counseling
We offer free and confidential individual counseling to survivors of sexual assault and the supportive individuals in their lives. Our sessions typically occur in our offices, but we are flexible about arranging meetings at other locations when necessary. Additionally, we hold office hours at various times weekly at our satellite locations throughout the North Shore.
If you are interested in individual counseling, don't hesitate to get in touch with our office at 978.687.0331.
Group Counseling
We facilitate various support groups throughout the year to accommodate diverse needs. These groups have covered topics such as Teen Peer-to-Peer Support, Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Assault, and an Adult Women’s Group.
All of our groups are free and strictly confidential.
We either organize groups as needed or include them on a group interest list. For more information, please email Arelis Huertas @ ahuertas@ywcanema.org or call our office at 978.687.0331 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.
You don’t have to face this journey alone. We provide the support, counseling, and resources you need to heal and move forward. Your well-being is our priority.