You have to be open with yourself to provide support
The best advice I can give anyone is to be a listener, but in a non-judgmental way, and just let them tell their truth and their story without pushing them to do something that they don’t want to do. [...] I would also say, make sure you take care of yourself and have the capacity to help this friend. You have to be open with yourself to provide that support, love and care for your friend. So make sure you’re able to do that. Aside from that, I would say educate yourself for when they are ready. You can be the resource and their tool when they are ready to take those next steps as they may not trust other people.
Recommendations
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Use open-ended questions and collaborative communication when supporting a victim/survivor.
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Present learning materials in a way that is helpful to a friend supporting a victim/survivor.
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Make supports available to members of the university community who receive disclosures, or raise awareness of these supports within university communities where they already exist.