Immediate Steps

If you have been sexually assaulted

Your immediate safety is the top priority.

What to do: If you're in danger, leave the location and contact someone you trust. For immediate help, call 911. After securing your safety, contact Peace House at (800) 647-9161 for confidential support.
How Peace House Can Help: Peace House offers 24/7 access to trained advocates to assist you with safety planning. Our advocates will help you create a personalized plan to ensure your ongoing safety, whether you decide to leave the situation or stay while exploring options.

Peace House also provides emergency housing for those fleeing dangerous circumstances. Our shelter offers a safe, confidential place for you and your family and a secure pet housing program.

2. Seek Medical Attention & Consider a Forensic Exam

Medical care is crucial, even if you don't have visible injuries.

What to do: Seek medical care as soon as possible. Protecting yourself from potential health risks is essential, even if you feel fine. Consider a forensic exam within six days to collect evidence. You can visit your most immediate emergency room or call Peace House at (800) 647-9161 for guidance. Peace House advocates can accompany you to the hospital and offer support.
How Peace House Can Help: A compassionate member of the Sexual Assault Hospital Advocacy Response Team is available to accompany you to local hospitals in Wasatch and Summit counties. They can provide emotional support and advocacy during the forensic exam process, offering care and understanding during a difficult time.

Our Peace House advocates are here to support you, working closely with medical staff and law enforcement to ensure your rights and needs are always respected. We provide this service 24/7 and are committed to ensuring that you receive the necessary medical care and evidence collection without any financial obligation.

3. Preserve Evidence

Consider preserving evidence in case you decide to report the assault.

What to do: If possible, avoid showering, washing clothes, or discarding any items that could serve as evidence. Preserving evidence gives you the option to report the assault later.
How Peace House Can Help: Peace House advocates are trained to guide you through the evidence preservation process and help you decide your next steps, including whether or not to report the assault to law enforcement.

Our team can also provide legal advocacy by helping you report the crime, completing protective orders, and supporting you through legal proceedings. We are here to ensure that your choices are respected and that you feel empowered every step of the way.

4. Remind Yourself: It's Not Your Fault

Understanding that you are not to blame is essential for your emotional recovery.

What to do: Remind yourself that the assault was not your fault. The responsibility lies with the perpetrator. Contact Peace House if you need help processing these emotions.
How Peace House Can Help: Peace House provides emotional support with trained advocates who understand the emotional impact of trauma. Our counseling services offer individual therapy for both adults and children, as well as group therapy, to assist survivors in processing their emotions in a supportive environment.

Our therapists will collaborate with you to help rebuild your self-esteem and empowerment. Our therapy services are provided to you and your family free of charge.

5. Reach Out for Support

No matter when the sexual assault occurred, whether it's recent or happened many years ago, it's never too late to seek help.

What to do: Please contact Peace House at (800) 647-9161. Our team of caring and trained advocates is here to listen, provide emotional support, and assist you in exploring your options.
How Peace House Can Help: Peace House offers a 24/7 helpline, and we understand that seeking support can be difficult. That's why our dedicated team of trained advocates is available any time, day or night, to provide the care and guidance you need. We provide individualized case management, connecting you with essential resources like housing, legal advocacy, and financial assistance.

Our free counseling and support groups create a safe, confidential space for survivors to heal and process their emotions, no matter how much time has passed.

*Advocates are subject to mandatory reporting laws. Mandatory reporting laws generally impact those under 18 years of age, those over 65, and individuals with disabilities.

It's Never Too Late to Heal:

Understanding Unresolved Trauma

If you’ve experienced sexual assault in the past but never received therapy or support, you may be dealing with unresolved trauma.

This Unresolved Trauma can happen when, despite the passage of time, the emotional and psychological effects of the assault continue to impact your well-being. You might have thought it was better to forget or feel that it happened so long ago that it’s not worth revisiting. But trauma doesn’t just disappear with time.

Unresolved trauma can lead to a range of emotional responses, such as avoidance, where you may try to push painful memories out of your mind. According to statistics from the Department of Justice, nearly 70% of sexual assault survivors experience long-term distress, often manifesting as anxiety, depression, or difficulty in relationships. The effects of trauma can remain hidden, but they often resurface in unexpected ways.

Even if years or decades have passed, seeking support can help you regain control over your emotional health and heal the wounds that may still affect you today.

The Importance of Therapy

Healing from sexual assault trauma is a personal journey, and it’s important to know that healing isn’t bound by time. Even if your assault happened years ago, therapy offers a powerful opportunity to address the emotions and thoughts you’ve been carrying with you. At Peace House, we understand that unresolved trauma can impact many areas of life—physically, emotionally, and mentally—but it’s never too late to begin your healing process.

Reclaim Your Well-Being

Sexual assault trauma often manifests as anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, sometimes lingering beneath the surface for years. Therapy provides the tools to manage these symptoms, helping you reclaim a sense of peace and emotional balance. If you’ve been struggling with unresolved feelings, Peace House offers confidential, free therapy to guide you in processing those emotions safely.

Break the Cycle of Avoidance

Evading painful memories doesn’t erase them. Unresolved trauma can continue to affect your relationships, self-esteem, and daily life. Peace House can help you break this cycle of avoidance by providing a supportive environment where you can begin to process your feelings and regain control over your emotional well-being. Our 24/7 helpline connects you with trained advocates ready to listen and offer guidance anytime.

Improve Relationships and Self-Worth

Many survivors of sexual assault trauma struggle with trust and self-esteem, which can affect relationships with others and themselves. Therapy is a chance to rebuild these areas of your life, leading to healthier connections and a stronger sense of self-worth. At Peace House, we offer individual therapy and support groups where you can connect with others who understand your experiences, providing community and support as you rebuild trust and confidence.

How Peace House Can Help You

Contact Our 24/7 Helpline:
If you seek help for yourself or a loved one, our 24/7 helpline can guide you. Our compassionate advocates are trained to listen, provide information, and connect you to our free services. Call us anytime at (800)-647-9161 for immediate, confidential assistance.

Confidential Therapy and Support Groups:
Peace House offers specialized therapy for survivors of sexual assault trauma. Our individual counseling sessions and support groups are designed to help you heal at your own pace, providing the tools you need to reclaim your well-being and rebuild your life. All sessions are free and completely confidential.

Safe Housing and Additional Resources:
If you need immediate safety or support, Peace House provides safe housing, case management, and additional resources to help you regain stability. Our services are personalized to assist you in rebuilding your life with compassionate care, offering everything from legal advocacy to emotional support.

Volunteer with Peace House

Support Survivors of Sexual Assault

At Peace House, we seek volunteers who want to be a source of strength and support for survivors in our community. Your time, compassion, and commitment will provide critical assistance to those who have experienced sexual violence, helping them heal and empowering their lives. By volunteering with Peace House, you will become part of a mission to ensure that no survivor faces their journey alone.

Why Volunteer with Peace House?

Support Survivors:
You will have the opportunity to work with survivors of sexual violence, providing vital emotional support and resources during one of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Receive Comprehensive, Ongoing Training:
Peace House offers extensive professional training to ensure you are equipped to assist survivors. You will gain the skills to provide crisis intervention, advocacy, and compassionate care to those in need.

Choose How You Want to Help

Hospital Response Team: As a specially trained volunteer advocate, you will be directly involved in providing emotional support to survivors during medical forensic sexual assault exams. This critical role as part of the 24-hour Hospital Response Team allows you to be there for survivors in the immediate aftermath of an assault, helping them navigate the process and offering much-needed resources and care. (Reliable transportation required)

Community Outreach: By representing Peace House at community events and educational programs, you'll help spread awareness about sexual assault prevention and Peace House's services. Your efforts will ensure that more survivors and their families know about the resources available to them.

Administrative & Special Projects: You can support our survivors by assisting with special projects, administrative tasks, front desk, and donor communications. These roles are equally vital in keeping Peace House operating smoothly.

Complete The Training to Work with Survivors

Start Your Role and Begin Supporting Survivors

Other Ways to Support Survivors

Volunteering with Peace House is not just about giving back; it's about standing with survivors of sexual assault and offering them a path and resources to healing. Contact our Sexual Assault Services Coordinator at (435) 658-4739 to learn more about how you can make a difference today.

You Are Not Alone, We Believe You: Contact Peace House Today

If you or someone you know has encountered sexual assault or domestic violence, Peace House is here to help. Our services are free, confidential, and personalized to meet your needs—whether you require immediate safety, emotional support, or guidance through the next steps.

Call us 24/7 at (800) 647-9161 or visit peacehouse.org/contact to chat with an advocate anonymously.

Take the first step toward healing—we're here to listen, support, and stand by you.