{"id":335,"date":"2019-08-28T23:24:02","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T23:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/myunheardvoice.org\/?page_id=335"},"modified":"2019-08-28T23:24:03","modified_gmt":"2019-08-28T23:24:03","slug":"tips-for-talking-with-survivors-of-sexual-assault","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/myunheardvoice.org\/ru\/tips-for-talking-with-survivors-of-sexual-assault\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Talking with Survivors of Sexual Assault"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not always easy to know what to say when someone tells you \nthey\u2019ve been sexually assaulted, especially if they are a friend or \nfamily member. For a survivor, disclosing to someone they care about can\n be very difficult, so we encourage you to be as supportive and \nnon-judgemental as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes support means providing resources, such as how to reach the\n National Sexual Assault Hotline, seek medical attention, or report the \ncrime to the police. But often listening is the best way to support a \nsurvivor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some specific phrases National Sexual Assault Hotline staff recommend to be supportive through a survivor\u2019s healing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe you. \/ It took a lot of courage to tell me about this.\u201d <\/strong>It\n can be extremely difficult for survivors to come forward and share \ntheir story. They may feel ashamed, concerned that they won\u2019t be \nbelieved, or worried they\u2019ll be blamed. Leave any \u201cwhy\u201d questions or \ninvestigations to the experts\u2014your job is to support this person. Be \ncareful not to interpret calmness as a sign that the event did not \noccur\u2014everyone responds to traumatic events differently. The best thing \nyou can do is to believe them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not your fault. \/ You didn\u2019t do anything to deserve this.\u201d <\/strong>Survivors\n may blame themselves, especially if they know the perpetrator \npersonally. Remind the survivor, maybe even more than once, that they \nare not to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are not alone. \/ I care about you and am here to listen or help in any way I can.\u201d<\/strong>\n Let the survivor know that you are there for them and willing to listen\n to their story if they are comfortable sharing it. Assess if there are \npeople in their life they feel comfortable going to, and remind them \nthat there are service providers who will be able to support them as \nthey heal from the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry this happened. \/ This shouldn\u2019t have happened to you.\u201d<\/strong>\n Acknowledge that the experience has affected their life. Phrases like \n\u201cThis must be really tough for you,\u201d and, \u201cI\u2019m so glad you are sharing \nthis with me,\u201d help to communicate empathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continued Support <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no timetable when it comes to recovering from sexual \nviolence. If someone trusted you enough to disclose the event to you, \nconsider the following ways to show your continued support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n