What is Youth HelpRoom?
Youth HelpRoom is a group chat service that allows young people who are experiencing or have experienced sexual violence, to connect with, and support one another in a moderated and secure online environment at RAINN.org. RAINN’s top priority is your safety. Because of that, we designed Youth HelpRoom from the ground up, so that you remain completely anonymous and your participation in a Youth HelpRoom discussion is confidential.
RAINN staff are mandatory reporters, so only share your name, age, or location if you would like a report to be filed about what brought you here today. If you do not want RAINN to file a report, do not share any information about your name, age, or location.
Youth HelpRoom is topic-specific and moderated by trained RAINN staff. They will provide resources, help keep conversations survivor-centered, and enforce ground rules to create a safe environment for everyone. RAINN hosts separate sessions for young people between the ages of 14-17, and ages 18-24.
When is Youth HelpRoom Available?
Youth HelpRoom Schedule
Upcoming session details
Thursday September 28th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST
Topic 2 - Consent & Boundaries
Youth reach out to RAINN often for education regarding consent and establishing boundaries, and what to do when something occurs that is non-consensual or crosses a boundary. This session aims to support youth in understanding what consent is and isn’t, creating boundaries and ways to address their concerns.
Saturday October 28th, 11:00pm - 12:30am EST
Topic 3 - Understanding Your Experience
Youth reach out to RAINN’s on-line hotline, telephone hotline and group chat services often to gain some understanding of what they have or are currently experiencing. In this session, youth will be provided the opportunity to discuss their experiences, identify some of the common challenges youth face, and explore what it means to feel safe and supported in their lives.
Tuesday November 28th, 7:00am - 8:30am EST
Topic 4 - Safety Planning: Finding & Creating Safe Spaces
Youth who experience sexual violence often feel they have limited access to safe spaces or safe people. This session aims to support participants in finding and creating safety around their physical, mental and social health.
Thursday December 28th, 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST
Topic 5 - Coping: Building Strength
Survivors of sexual violence often experience symptoms that they find difficult to manage, feeling unstable, out of control, and alone. It can be scary for survivors to experience symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks because they’re often not aware that it’s a normal reaction to an abnormal event. This session seeks to normalize those symptoms and assist visitors with increasing their knowledge and awareness of these challenges, where they come from, along with identifying coping methods to manage them.
Sunday January 28th, 2024, 11:00pm - 12:30am EST
Topic 6 - Healing: What is it and How Do We Heal
Survivors of sexual violence often hear about recovery and the healing process, but tend to need support throughout their healing journey. This session seeks to explore what healing is, how to start the healing process and challenges that occur on the healing journey.
Tuesday March 28th, 2024, 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST
Topic 2 - Consent & Boundaries
Youth reach out to RAINN often for education regarding consent and establishing boundaries, and what to do when something occurs that is non-consensual or crosses a boundary. This session aims to support youth in understanding what consent is and isn’t, creating boundaries and ways to address their concerns.
Friday April 28th, 2024, 11:00pm - 12:30am EST
Topic 3 - Understanding Your Experience
Youth reach out to RAINN’s on-line hotline, telephone hotline and group chat services often to gain some understanding of what they have or are currently experiencing. In this session, youth will be provided the opportunity to discuss their experiences, identify some of the common challenges youth face, and explore what it means to feel safe and supported in their lives.
Sunday May 28th, 2024, 7:00am - 8:30am EST
Topic 4 - Safety Planning: Finding & Creating Safe Spaces
Youth who experience sexual violence often feel they have limited access to safe spaces or safe people. This session aims to support participants in finding and creating safety around their physical, mental and social health.
Wednesday June 28th, 2024, 3:00pm - 4:30pm EST
Topic 5 - Coping: Building Strength
Survivors of sexual violence often experience symptoms that they find difficult to manage, feeling unstable, out of control, and alone. It can be scary for survivors to experience symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks because they’re often not aware that it’s a normal reaction to an abnormal event. This session seeks to normalize those symptoms and assist visitors with increasing their knowledge and awareness of these challenges, where they come from, along with identifying coping methods to manage them.
Friday July 28th, 2024, 11:00pm - 12:30am EST
Topic 6 - Healing: What is it and How Do We Heal
Survivors of sexual violence often hear about recovery and the healing process, but tend to need support throughout their healing journey. This session seeks to explore what healing is, how to start the healing process and challenges that occur on the healing journey.
If a Youth HelpRoom session is not available, you can always connect one-on-one with a RAINN support specialist for anonymous, confidential support via the Online Hotline 24/7. Or, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) to connect with your closest Sexual Assault Service Provider(SASP) over phone.
If you would like to find a SASP in your local area to connect with for support, you can search for local SASPs in the Centers database.