Being comfortable speaking your own language
Participant 1: For international students [...] not all of them have, like, excellent English, you know, so it would be really hard to express themselves, even if the other person knows about the culture. And I think being able [and] comfortable speaking in your own languages is a pretty good thing too, that the school can provide for a student. [...]
Participant 2: I really love Participant One’s idea. It is really cool [...] because the language barrier is a really big problem. I think it is the biggest problems between us and the staff.
Recommendations
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Create an inter-university and college roster of peer supporters and educators that includes international and domestic student leaders across genders.
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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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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.
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Offer interpretation services to victims/survivors and respondents who are more comfortable communicating in a language other than English and make it known to students that this service is available.
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Offer versions of policies presented in plain language and translated into languages commonly prefered by students. Ensure that these documents meet accessibility standards that consider the needs of students with disabilities and diverse learning styles.