“Recovery is reaching a point where I feel safe... in terms of other people, but also within myself... in my body and my mind.”
The REACH project: REcovery And Care to promote Healing for Victorian survivors of sexual violence
The REACH project is a research partnership between the University of Melbourne and Sexual Assault Services Victoria with collaboration from Women with Disabilities Victoria. It focused on better understanding what helps people to recover and heal after sexual violence. The project has been informed and guided by people with lived experience of sexual assault and was funded by Family Safety Victoria.
The research involved interviews and focus groups with survivors of sexual violence, practitioners and key informants, as well as a synthesis of research literature.
What does ‘recovery’ from sexual violence mean?
According to survivor participants, recovering or healing after sexual violence is an ongoing process of growth and change. Participants emphasised that survivors are not solely responsible for recovery; perpetrators need to be held to account and the community has a critical role to play in addressing the harm.
“[Through having support, I] went from being like, “I am a broken, bad person” to being like, “I have been damaged by other people’s actions.”
Promoting recovery from sexual violence
Findings from REACH show that recovery is enabled through personal, relational and social change. The evidence supports a phased approach to therapeutic work:
Relationship, safety and skill building.
Remembering and processing.
Integration, (re)connection and closure.
Often, the journey towards ongoing recovery includes the following stages:
Securing a safe foundation: Survivors need to feel physically and psychologically safe before they focus on recovery.
Feeling calmer and more in control: Gaining relief from psychological and physical trauma and feeling in control of daily life is a priority. One participant described this as the need to feel ‘comfortable within myself’. Therapeutic counselling and other interventions can help with recovery.
Recognising and making sense of the harm: Having others recognise the harm and injustice of sexual violence helps survivors to understand their experiences. It also shifts self-blame and shame.
Redressing the wrong: Acknowledgement and accountability from the perpetrator and others who contributed to the harm is important for recovery.
Finding connection and belonging: Sexual violence can shatter a survivor’s trust in others and the wider community. Rebuilding relationships and finding connection and belonging, including through connections with other survivors, facilitates recovery after sexual violence.
Having a voice and a purpose: Sexual violence is an experience that takes away the survivor’s autonomy and voice, and a lack of community recognition compounds the harm. Survivors need opportunities to contribute to social change; one participant said this offered ‘a whole different sense of healing’.
Watch our short video about the project to learn more
Read the report, the summary and the practitioner guidelines
Learn more about the REACH project, including what helps survivors to heal, the evidence base behind the individual, group and mind-body therapeutic interventions and the most effective ways that practitioners can support survivors in their recovery.
Full REACH research report: ‘Reclaiming power over my story, my body and myself’: Recovery and healing for adult victim-survivors of sexual violence.
Download PDF
Download Word documentSummarised KTE report: This resource summarised the findings for the REACH research project and their implications for policy and practice.
Download PDF
Download Word documentPractitioner guidelines: Whether you are a specialist sexual violence counsellor, or a practitioner who sometimes responds to survivors of recent or historical sexual abuse, there are effective responses you can provide to help faciltiate recovery and healing.
Download PDF
Download Word document
“If you get one person… who you can trust… that can almost save you.”
Sexual violence is being forced, pressured or tricked into doing sexual things when you don’t want to. It is often a crime and can take many forms, including child sexual abuse, image-based sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault. It can affect people of all genders throughout their lives and can be perpetrated by strangers or people who are known to the survivor.
It can be difficult to speak about sexual violence. Specialist sexual assault services support adults and children who have experienced sexual violence, whether recently or a long time ago. Harmful sexual behaviour services provide specialist support to children and families. For more information about specialist sexual assault services in Victoria and where to find them, visit peak.sasvic.org.au/servicemap
Getting support
Funding acknowledgement
Research funded by a Victorian Government competitive grant, under the ‘Family Violence Research Program 2021 - 2024’, administered by Family Safety Victoria.
