For crisis intervention or mental distress: Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line:
1-888-429-8167

For Confidential support to post-secondary students in Nova Scotia:
Good2Talk: 1-833-292-3698
or text GOOD2TALKNS to 686868

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program for the Halifax area:
902-425-0122

Get toll-free numbers for other Nova Scotia regions

 

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African Female

I would look to someone with more knowledge

[If I needed support following an experience of sexual assault], I would go to someone with more knowledge, with more maturity, and that is something I would look for. And also, I would look for someone, maybe from the same background. Like if we are in Canada, I would go to someone who is a Nigerian, because she would understand me better. I wouldn't go to an Indian, because the way she would handle this may be different then the way we would handle it. And probably I would go to someone who is a female like me. I am not going to go to a guy for counseling and tell him what another guy has done to me.

Recommendations

  • Sign on with a service such as KeepMe.Safe, which connects students with mental health professionals from cultures around the world and promote this service as part of university SV/SA service provision.

  • When responding to a disclosure or report of sexual violence, provide students with the choice to work with someone who shares their gender identity or someone who does not. This applies to the victim/survivor or complainant and respondent.

  • When responding to a disclosure or report of sexual violence involving racially or ethnically marginalized students, provide these students with the choice to work with someone who shares their cultural or racial identity or someone who does not.

  • Provide long-term support to victims/survivors through university services and/or through referals to external community-based agencies.