Rape victim: 'Boys aren't taught you can't just grab a girl'

Jennifer, not her real name, said she and her friends had all experienced sexual abuse (stock image)

A young woman who was raped when she was 16 years old said she was worried about how commonplace sexual assaults were becoming.

Jennifer - not her real name - was assaulted by the father of one of her friends.

She told the BBC that most of her friends had also experienced some form of sexual abuse.

It comes as Essex Police launches its Reflect campaign around the issue of consent.

'Repeatedly told him no'

Jennifer said she was assaulted by a man, who was in his 50s, after he gave her a lift home.

After trying to ply her with alcohol and drugs, he attacked her.

"He just didn't stop. He kept grabbing me, pulling my skirt up," she told the BBC, adding she was "repeatedly telling him 'no'".

"Then he pushed me on to the sofa and raped me," she said.

"I kept saying 'no', I didn't want to do it, 'you're not my age, you're my friend's dad', anything I could think of."

Jennifer said she repeatedly told her attacker to stop but he would not (stock image)

Her attacker was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Jennifer reported the assault to Essex Police. She said more rape victims should be confident they would be believed.

"Don't not report it because you're scared - do it for yourself and for other girls," she said.

If you're affected by issues highlighted in this report, you can find support at BBC Action Line.

Jennifer said before she was raped she believed she had been sexually assaulted 10 to 15 times.

"Boys just aren't taught you can't just go up to a girl and grab... but boys do it," she told the BBC.

'You will be believed'

Jennifer's mother said she had nothing but praise for how her daughter's case was handled by the police.

"If something has happened to you that you haven't given consent to, have absolutely no hesitation in reporting it," she told the BBC.

"You may not get the outcome that you want, but you will be believed and your feelings will be validated and you will be treated with respect."

Essex Police has launched its Reflect campaign across the county

Essex Police's latest campaign, called Reflect, aims to tackle sexual violence and abuse. The campaign focuses on the issue of consent and asks people to consider their own actions and behaviour.

"Consent still needs to be given for any form of sexual activity," said Ch Supt Claire Talbot, Essex Police's tactical lead for violence against women and girls.

"Anyone has the right to say 'no', change their mind or withdraw consent at any time."

Sarah Griffin from The Change Project, which supports those wishing to change their behaviour, said the Reflect campaign "gets to the heart of a subject that is not talked about widely enough".

"We hope this campaign encourages people to reach out for help to address aspects of their behaviour they may not be comfortable with," she added.