Surviving a traumatic incident is hard. Survivorship is hard. Understanding and coming to terms with the violence faced can be excruciatingly painful and isolating. As survivors and those actively working with other survivors, we noticed that there is a lot of information available on where to seek help, explanations of legalities, and rights. However, we did notice the lack of information around the kind of mental health struggles involved with each point of contact in this help-seeking journey. We saw this reflected across many projects that we worked on individually and across many contexts. We came together to create this resource to bridge the gap.

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If you're wondering what your options are, what it looks like if you take police and legal action against the person who harmed you, this resource will help you. We've provided detailed information on what each step looks like and also provided an understanding of trauma and triggers associated with each step of action you're considering, along with tools to navigate the trauma triggers.

 

Our hope in creating this is for you to feel empowered to make a decision, no matter what the decision is. You may feel empowered to take action, not take action, or feel unsure. Each of these feelings is valid, and all combinations of them are valid. Even if it might not seem like it, it is your choice. With this, we hope to provide you with all the information that can empower you to make these choices.

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​We hope that we have been able to provide you with a companion, a friend who acknowledges this violence, sees all that it involves, and is there with you by your side. The people involved in creating this are survivors and allies, and we offer ourselves and you solidarity, compassion, and kinship.