When Sexual Violence Dominates the News, What Do Women Need From the Coverage?

Content note: This article discusses rape and sexual assault without graphic descriptions. Support information is included below.

A headline can arrive in the middle of an otherwise ordinary day. You open your phone on the bus, check the news during lunch or follow a link someone has sent to a group chat. A report about sexual violence appears, followed by the comments, the clips and the questions about what a woman did or did not do. For someone with an experience of her own, that conversation may feel very personal.

This week has brought two separate developments. On Monday, 9th November, Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison following his conviction for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four women. On Tuesday, 10th November, a joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian published allegations against David Walliams, including allegations involving teenage girls. Walliams denies the allegations, including any criminal activity.

Brand’s convictions and the denied allegations against Walliams are separate legal situations and should not be treated as equivalent. Beyond those developments, there is another question for anyone encountering this coverage. How do you follow a story that matters to you when the discussion around it becomes difficult to bear?

For a woman reading about sexual violence, the difficult part may be the detail of a report. It may also be a colleague’s dismissive remark, a friend defending someone they admire or a comment thread asking why a woman waited before speaking. The Mental Health Foundation recognises that both media coverage and the casual conversations it prompts can affect survivors’ mental health. A story that feels distant to one reader may touch something another has never discussed.

In an Instagram post, campaigner Gina Martin asks creators to consider how survivors may feel when harmful clips are repeatedly shared in response to high-profile stories. Material shared to condemn someone’s behaviour can still expose another person to content they find distressing.

There is no requirement to keep following it all. The Mental Health Foundation recommends taking time out and reconsidering which social media accounts you follow. That could mean closing an article, muting an account or telling someone you do not want to discuss the news. Being informed does not require making yourself available for every update or debate.

You might want to know the outcome of a case without reading descriptions of an assault. You might read one report and decide that is enough, or ask friends not to send you clips. Those are reasonable boundaries. If you would rather leave a conversation at work, a simple “I don’t want to discuss this” can be enough; you do not have to explain your personal history to justify it.

It can also be uncomfortable when someone you like responds very differently to the news. A friend may focus on a celebrity’s talent or remember how much they enjoyed a television programme, while you are thinking about the women describing harm. You can explain why that response troubles you if you want to, but you do not owe anyone a personal disclosure to make them take the subject seriously.

Questions about why a woman waited to speak can be particularly difficult to hear. Rape Crisis England & Wales explains that people may delay telling anyone about sexual violence because they fear being blamed or disbelieved, feel ashamed, fear the perpetrator or worry about the effect on their relationships. Some have already tried to tell someone and received no help.

These are general barriers to speaking about sexual violence, rather than conclusions about any individual allegation. If you recognise one of them in your own experience, you do not have to explain or defend the time it has taken you to tell someone. Rape Crisis advises friends and family against questioning why someone did not speak sooner.

There are similar assumptions about resistance. Rape Crisis explains that being unable to move or speak can be an automatic response to fear. Freezing does not mean someone consented. If you have questioned your own reaction because you did not shout or fight, this may help you understand it.

For some readers, the immediate question will be how to respond to someone close to them. A conversation about the news may become the moment a friend or partner tells them something personal. Rape Crisis advises listening, making clear that you believe them and allowing them to make their own decisions. Being trusted with that information does not mean being asked to investigate, press for details or take control.

Practical help can be offered without deciding what comes next. The NHS suggests asking whether someone would like company at an appointment and respecting their decision about reporting to the police. It also advises asking before offering physical comfort, since even a hug may be unwelcome.

Anyone considering support should be able to find it without first having to decide whether to pursue a criminal complaint. In England, sexual assault referral centres offer medical, practical and emotional help. The NHS says people can contact a centre directly, and forensic examinations can be arranged even when someone has not decided whether to report. Following a recent assault, seeking prompt medical advice can help with injuries, pregnancy concerns, infections and options for collecting evidence.

Support is also available when an experience happened years ago, or when someone is unsure how to describe it. The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line welcomes people who cannot remember everything or do not yet have the words.

There is room to care about these stories and still decide you have read enough for today. You may want to talk, seek support or keep your experience private. Whatever you choose, a week of public discussion does not set a deadline for what you do next, and help remains available when the news has moved on.

If this article has brought up something personal, you can contact a specialist service for support.

England and Wales
The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is free and available to anyone aged 16 or over affected by sexual violence, including friends and family supporting someone. Call 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat.

Scotland
Call Rape Crisis Scotland free on 08088 01 03 02, daily from 5pm to midnight. Visit Rape Crisis Scotland for other ways to get support.

Northern Ireland
Call Rape Crisis Northern Ireland free on 0800 0246 991. The service supports people aged 16 or over who have experienced rape or serious sexual assault in adulthood. Check Rape Crisis Northern Ireland for current opening times and service information.

Medical help in England
Sexual assault referral centres offer specialist medical and practical support, including if you have not decided whether to report to the police. Read the NHS guide to help after rape and sexual assault.

If you are in immediate danger or need emergency medical help, call 999.