Check your own mental health
[To support a survivor], I think you should have good listening skills. You should also be very patient, but at the same time, someone coming to you about such a crisis, I think you should also check your own mental health and pay attention to your needs and express them to your friend, you know, whether or not you will be able to help them. If not, if you really cannot help them, I think you should refer them to the Counselling Centre - the network of professionals. At that moment, you must be sensitive, but you should also take care of your own mental health. If you are trying to assist others, first you have to make sure you are in good state of mind to help.
Recommendations
-
Provide long-term support to victims/survivors through university services and/or through referals to external community-based agencies.
-
Present learning materials in a way that is helpful to a friend supporting a victim/survivor.
-
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.