Women

Sexual violence is a gendered crime.

In 2021-2022, women and girls made up 85% of victims of recorded sexual assaults in Queensland. QSAN services provide specialist sexual assault counselling and support to women who have been impacted by sexual assault at some time in their lives. If you have been impacted by sexual assault, rape or sexual violence, it's not your fault. Our support services will listen to you and they will believe you.

Older Women

Age does not protect someone from abuse. Sadly, as people get older they can also become more vulnerable. Elder Sexual Abuse (ELSA) is any kind of unwanted sexual behaviour, language, or activity that makes an older person feel uncomfortable, frightened, or threatened. It is about power not sex.

Men

Specialist Support Services   

You have a right to be listened to, believed and helped if you have been affected by sexual abuse or sexual assault.

If you, or someone you know, are in need of support after experiencing sexual abuse we are here to help.  Our experienced team will help you find a way forward by focusing on your healing and recovery.  Our QLD based service is currently available to any survivor identifying as male, who is over 14 years of age and has experienced a sexual assault or sexual abuse.

 

What to expect:

We will help you prioritise your needs and decide what you want in being able to move forward.  We understand that the things you want help with may change over time, so our services are flexible to meet your needs.  Our team can help you start to rebuild with practical support, counselling, accessing financial support, and addressing safety needs, including:

  • Free confidential counselling support
  • Assistance with case management, financial applications or navigating government systems, such as Victim Assist Queensland and Redress
  • Information and support on how to report and tackle court processes
  • Referrals to long-term therapeutic supports and counselling

Support we provide:

Our service is completely free of charge.

Our team of counsellors are based across Queensland and can help you over the phone or by video conferencing.  If you live in Brisbane, you can come into our office to see us or ask us to meet you at another place where you feel safe.  We know your privacy and confidentiality are important in helping you feel safe.

We will listen and work with you to determine the kind of support you need, and the things you'd like to focus on.

 

For more information or if you need to speak to someone, there are several ways to get in touch:

FREECALL - 1800 874 996

Email:  [email protected] (Send email)

Web: www.54reasons.org.au (Link to external website)

Available:  Monday-Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM

 

 

Support and assistance for men

Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN) (Link to external website) is a dedicated service for men who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual assault at some time in their lives. For male survivors, their partners, family and friends, they provide a range of resources (Link to external website), advocacy and support services (Link to external website). If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse as a child, or adult sexual assault, please know that you’re not alone. There is an increasing recognition of this issue for men, and support and assistance is available.

 

Information and resources from SAMSN:

 

Men and boys make up 15% of reported sexual assault on Queensland in 2021-2022.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Recorded Crime – Victims, Australia, 2024.

Young People

Support and assistance for young people

Sexual assault impacts many Australians, including young people. There are specialist services in Queensland who provide support to young people. Zig Zag Young Women’s Resource Centre (Link to external website) provides support to young women (aged 12–25) who are survivors of sexual violence. Their service includes counselling, advocacy, support, referral and some accommodation. There are also other QSAN Services who are able to support young people who are survivors of sexual violence.

 

Information and resources

Children and Parents

Support and assistance for parents and carers of children

In 2021-2022, the Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the Personal Safety Survey, which identified that 14% of Australia's adult population,  2.7 million Australian adults, had experienced childhood sexual assault (ABS, 2023). There is a range of support services who specialise in childhood sexual assault including some QSAN services and other support services (Link to external website).

 

Information and resources

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more than twice as likely to experience sexual assault than non-Indigenous Australians. This means that despite only making up 4.6% of Queensland population, Indigenous people experienced 10.6% of recorded sexual assaults in Queensland in 2021-2022. There is a clear over-representation of Indigenous Australians within sexual assault statistics. Therefore, the Queensland Sexual Assault Network urges all community members and organisations to together work towards addressing these issues.

 

Support available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

QSAN welcomes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our services (Link to external website). There are also culturally inclusive services available for Indigenous people.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that these websites may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.

Resources available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that these websites may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed away.

LGBTIQ+ Community

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and gender diverse people are identified as being particularly vulnerable to domestic, family and sexual violence. In a survey conducted in 2019, almost half (49%) indicated having ever experienced sexual assault.

 

Support available for LGBTIQ+ people

Many QSAN Services provide support to LGBTIQ+ people. There are also LGBTIQ+ specific services that can provide sexual assault support.

Resources available for the LGBTIQ+ community

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People

For Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) members of our community, there can be many barriers to accessing sexual assault counselling and support. The Immigrant Women's Support Service (IWSS) (Link to external website), provides support to immigrant and refugee women (and their children) from non-English speaking backgrounds who have experienced sexual assault or domestic violence. Other QSAN Services also welcome people from CALD backgrounds to our services and work with translating and interpreting services.

 

Information and resources

For support in accessing support services through translation, you call TIS National on 131 450. Or visit their website (Link to external website).

People With Disabilities/Easy-read Resources

Support and assistance for people with disabilities

People who live with a disability are often at greater risk of sexual violence. It is important to note that each person's disability is different. The way in which their disability affects their life is different. This means some people are more vulnerable than others. Working with People with Intellectual and Learning Disabilities (WWILD) (Link to external website) supports people with intellectual disabilities who are survivors of a crime, including sexual assault. QSAN Services also provide counselling and support to people with an intellectual, learning or physical disability. Our Services will work with you to find the best ways to support you.

 

Information and resources