Confidentiality and gender are the most important qualities
Participant 1: I would like an experienced person [to provide support following a sexual assault experience].
Participant 2: You mean they have professional knowledge and backgrounds?
Participant 1: Besides, we also want to keep our information secret.
Facilitator: So, you don't want the public to learn about what happened to you?
Participant 2: Yes.
Participant 1: There will be female consultants and male consultants at least, we can choose.
Facilitator: So confidentiality and gender are the most important qualities.
Recommendations
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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.
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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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Provide long-term support to victims/survivors through university services and/or through referals to external community-based agencies.
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Use an app or other tool that allows students to anonymously ask questions about sexual violence and university policies against sexual violence.
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In the policy itself and in materials and presentations promoting the policy, define "confidential" and "anonymous," and explain how these concepts pertain to the policy, university-based sexual assault services, and the limits on confidentiality and anonymity.