Denial

• Denial tends to be the immediate response to a rape. A common form of denial is such that the victim accepts that an assault occurred but avoids recognizing it is of a sexual nature.
  
  

Anger

• The second stage of grieving a sexual assault is anger. A victim's anger is directed not only at the perpetrator but many time she demonstrates misplaced anger with herself.
  
  

Bargaining

• Bargaining follows as the third stage of grieving following a rape. The bargaining following a rape tends to center on an objective of minimizing the emotional repercussions.
  
  

Depression

• The fourth stage of grieving a rape is depression. The reality of the sexual assault settles in at this juncture as does an overriding sense of hopelessness and shame.
  
  

Acceptance

• Finally, at stage five of the rape grieving process, the victim gains some sense of acceptance. At this juncture, the victim is able to begin to restore a sense of normality to her life.