Survivor-Centred

What does a survivor-centred approach involve?

According to UN Women (2011), a survivor-centred approach puts “the rights, needs, and wishes of the survivor” first. This includes:

• Respectful treatment
• Freedom from victim-blaming attitudes.
• Choice about how to deal with the violence
• Information with which to make informed choices
• Privacy and confidentiality
• Freedom from “discrimination based on gender, age, race/ ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, HIV status or any other characteristic.”

How is a Survivor-Centred approach different from a Trauma Informed Approach?

• The emphasis on the survivor’s empowerment resonates strongly with principles of Trauma Informed Practice.
• One difference is that using Trauma Informed Principles also means applying these principles when engaging with respondents in sexual assault cases, whereas survivor-centricity focuses specifically on the survivor.

What does the term “survivor-centred” have to do with university SV/SA policies?

University SV/SA policies and descriptions of supports available to victims/survivors of sexual violence often include a statement that they are “survivor-centred.” This makes sense, given that these policies intend largely to meet the needs of survivors.