Be honest about what they can provide and what they can’t provide
Participant 1: The support person should be honest about what they can provide and what they can’t provide. Maybe they are being triggered themselves and really can’t be there, and as difficult as that would be to say, or hear, it might be important to say, and hear.
Facilitator: So, it’s also just about recognizing that we all have our barriers, but, regardless of what they may be- time, or even, in terms of psychological or emotional barriers that prevent us from being to be constantly available at all times for people when they need us, that self-awareness of that fact and of our own boundaries is important when we choose to do support work in any form.
Recommendations
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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.
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Promote SANE nurses as supporters for victims/survivors. Ideally, this would happen in the context of a formal partnership with SANE nurses, which includes 24/7 availability of SANE nurse services on campus.
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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.
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In education and awareness campaigns, highlight the fact that a significant percentage of men have experienced sexual violence in their lives.