Compassionate, Personalized Care
Youth survivors of sexual violence and abuse have particular needs, and we are committed to making our services welcoming to young people. We work with youth survivors ages 12 and up.
Individual Counseling Sessions: Connecting with therapists who specialize in working with young people may be one way a survivor can feel supported.
Group Counseling & Drop-In Sessions: We offer family counseling, and periodically offer teen counseling groups as well as drop-in sessions for teens.
I Need Help
Having survived a sexual assault you may feel scared, confused and overwhelmed and it may feel difficult to trust people in order to get the help you deserve. Here is some information that might be helpful.
The most important thing is that you are not alone in this. We can help. BARCC offers all young people, of all genders and sexual identities, ages 12 and older, free confidential counseling, medical accompaniment, legal services, and a 24-hour hotline.
BARCC’s goal is to help you regain control of your life and feel empowered to make decisions about what you want to do.
Nervous about contacting us? Maybe answers to some of the questions that we have heard from other young people might help.
A. Massachusetts law defines rape as penetration of a bodily orifice (vagina, anus, or mouth) by a penis or other body part, or an object, against a person’s will or without his or her consent. Remember, this is a legal definition. It may not necessarily define your personal experience. If what happened to you or someone you care about does not appear to fit into this definition, it doesn’t mean you or they were not harmed. BARCC’s trained hotline counselors are available to answer your questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A. There are many ways to get immediate help.
- Call or contact a friend or family member whom you trust, so you are not alone.
- Call the BARCC hotline or send us a chat to talk to a counselor about your options. You might want information about how to report the experience to the police or whether to go to the hospital.
- Make an appointment to see a counselor at BARCC or get referrals for other emergency caregivers in your area.
A. There are many things you can do for a friend who is in immediate crisis.
- Listen: Often, a person in crisis just needs someone to hear their story. You can show you are really listening by not judging them or questioning what you are hearing.
- Be supportive: It’s natural for you to have beliefs and attitudes that will be challenged by what your friend is telling you, but hold your opinions. Right now your friend needs to be heard.
- Let your friend decide what they want to talk about: Don’t push your friend to talk about things they’re not ready to discuss. Don’t pry. Speak calmly and gently.
- Respect your friend’s privacy: Don’t tell other people about what happened to your friend unless they tell you it is OK.
- Remind your friend that you care: You can show affection by listening, speaking calmly and gently, believing them and keeping an open mind.
- Have your friend contact us about getting services.
- Call our hotline or send us a chat to get support for yourself and information that you can pass onto your friend.
A. No. Regardless of what you were doing or where you were, it was not your fault. Nobody has the right to hurt you.
A. Individual responses can vary from person to person. Your brain is trying to sort out what happened to you. It’s important that you recognize that your feelings, whatever they are, are valid and matter. Some common reactions, but not the only reactions include:
- Memories of the experience come into your mind spontaneously
- Difficulty trusting others
- Shame and self blame
- Anger and rage
- Feeling guilty and/or responsible for what happened
- Feeling betrayed and alone
- Feeling the need to isolate yourself from family and friends
- Fear, terror, feeling unsafe
- Sadness and grief
- Feeling powerless, out of control, overwhelmed, anxious or depressed
- Experiencing nightmares or difficulty sleeping at night
A. There are a lot of things you can do to get help if you feel you are being harassed.
- Don’t blame yourself. Harassment is unwanted and can make you feel trapped, confused, helpless, embarrassed or scared. You didn’t ask for any of those things.
- Keep a written record of the incidents.
- Let the harasser know that you don’t like the behavior and the comments, if this feels safe.
- Tell someone you TRUST who can help you take the kinds of actions you want to take. This can be a friend, teacher, doctor, neighbor, family relative, parent, religious or community figure, or BARCC.
- Find out who at your school is responsible for dealing with complaints about sexual harassment. Talk to a teacher, principal, nurse or guidance counselor. Find someone you TRUST. BARCC’s legal advocates can help you do this.
A. Under certain circumstances, minors under the age of 18 can receive medical and counseling services without their parents’ consent. Some hospitals, medical providers and rape crisis centers can provide brief support and treatment without parental consent.
A. You can find more resources for teens
here.
Join the Movement to End Sexual Violence
Through the Youth Leadership Corps (YLC), BARCC empowers young people ages 14–19 to become activists, educating their communities about sexual violence and creating change. Our YLC members also advise us on how BARCC can better serve young survivors.
