Physical violence
Experiencing physical violence as part of a hate crime
Being physically attacked because of your race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, disability, or other aspect of your identity. The physical harm and the targeted nature of it are both part of the wound.
Being attacked for who you are wounds twice. There is the violence itself, and there is the message it was meant to send, that your existence made you a target. Healing from that means tending both injuries, and it helps to do it among people who understand that neither one was ever your fault.
Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, and nothing here decides what is wrong with you, because nothing is wrong with you. Something happened to you. This page exists so that when you are ready, you can find people who understand it from the inside.
You do not have to carry this alone.
Bridge of Hope Recovery is a free, anonymous, peer-led fellowship for trauma survivors. Meetings run throughout the week by phone, by video, and in person. No cost, no waitlist, no one asking for your real name.
Related experiences we cover
- Being hit, beaten, or physically hurt by a parent or caregiver
- Being physically hurt by a sibling or other family member
- Being physically attacked by someone outside your family
- Being physically hurt by a partner or someone you were in a relationship with
- Being physically hurt by someone in a position of authority over you
- Being physically restrained, confined, or prevented from leaving