June 19 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. In Ukraine, this topic remains largely taboo — even after years of full-scale war and the atrocities exposed in Bucha. Speaking about it is hard, but silence is the most devastating choice a survivor can make.
We spoke with Victoriia Hupalovska — a trauma therapist with over 20 years of experience, a researcher in the psychology of sexuality, and the author of international academic publications. Victoriia serves as a psychologist on the GIDNA project of the Future for Ukraine Foundation, which provides free psychological support to women who have survived sexual violence during the war. She explained what the term CRSV actually means, why survivors stay silent for years, and why it is never too late to seek help.
What CRSV Is and What It Does
Conflict-related sexual violence, or CRSV, is an internationally recognised term for sexual crimes committed during active armed conflict. Most people associate it strictly with rape. In reality, CRSV also encompasses forced undressing, genital searches, touching, verbal sexual abuse — any act of violence intended to humiliate and psychologically break a person. Survivors of CRSV include women and men, children and elderly people. It is a weapon of demoralisation, not merely a crime against the body.
"This is done to apply psychological pressure, to break a person's spirit. Women and men who have experienced CRSV will feel revulsion toward their own sexuality, which damages family relationships — and in turn disrupts reproductive behaviour and destroys family ties," explains Victoriia Hupalovska.
In 99% of Cases, Survivors Blame Themselves
In patriarchal environments, people around the survivor — if they do not outright accuse her — at least question her behaviour by questioning: "Did you provoke it?" "Why were you wearing a short skirt?" "Why did you get in the car?" This phenomenon is described in scientific literature as victim-blaming, and it comes not only from strangers but from those closest to her. In time, a woman begins doing it to herself — replaying thoughts that if she hadn't gone, hadn't answered, hadn't been there, none of it would have happened.
"Almost every survivor of CRSV carries a sense of guilt — even those who never admit it," notes the therapist.
The consequences of this silence are visible in the aftermath of the Balkan War, where women stayed silent for decades — because speaking out meant shame for the family, and in some cases, their lives were taken by their own husbands when the truth came out. Some survivors are only beginning to seek help now, because the effects of such trauma do not heal on their own: they become encapsulated, press inward, and sooner or later break through.
What Happens Without Support
Sexual violence is a profound trauma. It affects not only the body but also a person's sense of identity, destroys trust in others, and undermines the capacity to form relationships.
Without professional support, the consequences can manifest not only psychologically but physically:
- PTSD — flashbacks, compulsive avoidance of reminders, sleep disturbances
- Psychosomatic symptoms — nausea, tremors, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome
- Eating disorders and anxiety disorders
- Breakdown of intimate and family relationships
- In severe cases — suicidal ideation
The impact is especially devastating when CRSV is systematic — as in the case of the inhumane abuse suffered by Ukrainian women and men in russian captivity. Repeated incidents of CRSV instil a sense of helplessness, destroy self-esteem and trust in the world, and can lead to suicidal thoughts.
Victoriia also notes that witnessing sexual violence can be equally traumatic and may equally require professional support.
"When what a person has heard or seen overlaps with their own traumatic childhood, it can trigger a clinical picture of its own. The person finds themselves back in their own dangerous, violent world, feeling helpless all over again. Flashbacks may appear, along with psychosomatic symptoms — uncontrollable tremors, a persistent inner restlessness, or what is known as dissociation, where a person, overwhelmed by fear, retreats into oneself and remains there until the state passes."
What Therapy Looks Like
Fear of therapy often outweighs the emotional pain. A person dreads having to recount everything at once — but that is not how it works.
On the GIDNA project, Victoriia Hupalovska works with women online. As she describes it, women come to therapy in very different states. Some can hold themselves together and speak from the first session. Others don't turn on their camera at all — they sit in the dark, unsure of how they will be perceived in the right way. That is why the work begins not with the trauma itself, but with safety: the therapist explores what supports the person, what has helped them get through the hardest moments.
"We ask what helped them survive, despite everything. For some, it is a memory of a grandfather. A cat that reminds them every day that life goes on. Or small acts of kindness — a friendly neighbour, a friend who doesn't judge — like small seeds help restore faith in people," says Victoriia Hupalovska.
Speaking about the violence is often something that takes months.
"When you are finally able to tell your story, you are already almost healed," she tells her patients.
Victoriia shares that one of her female patients, living with complex PTSD, needed a year and a half of therapy before she could fully describe what had happened. Fear of the unknown and a deep mistrust had kept her closed off. Another woman, who, after surviving sexual violence, had become too afraid to leave the house, once fainted on a bus during a panic attack. After consistent work with a psychologist, she began going outside again, using public transport, and — for the first time in a long period — believed she was coping with it.
The Barriers to Seeking Help — and How to Overcome Them
Beyond shame and fear of judgement, women are often afraid of the system itself because of the prevalence of victim-blaming, and because of the painful, retraumatising nature of legal proceedings. By the time a case reaches court, a survivor may have recounted her experience to investigators many times over, reliving the trauma with each retelling.
This is why most women and men who have experienced CRSV do not come forward — not to the prosecutor's office, and not to a psychologist — to avoid revisiting the experience.
There is, however, a solution that removes most of these barriers: anonymous online psychological support, provided by a specialist from outside the survivor's own community, with no need for shame or explanation.
This is exactly how the GIDNA project works — free psychological support for women who have experienced CRSV. Since the project launched, over 140 women have received support through this program. On average, each participant has completed 20 individual sessions with a psychologist and has access to monthly group therapy sessions — free of charge and fully confidential.
Seeking Help Is Not Weakness — It Is Necessity
"When a person tries to avoid all memories of what they experienced, it gradually dismantles their everyday life: sleep issues, behaviour changes, even the simplest tasks become harder — and eventually, the person loses the ability to live as they once did," says Victoriia Hupalovska.
Prolonged symptoms of this kind can give rise to a wide range of further conditions: anxiety and eating disorders, in some cases, suicide attempts.
The sooner a person seeks support, the less chance the trauma will be rooted in their daily life.
If you or someone you know has survived or witnessed sexual violence during the war, support is right here. The GIDNA project provides free online psychological assistance to adult women — anonymously and professionally.
To take part in the program, please complete the application form on our website or contact us at +38 (050) 722-89-13.
