For crisis intervention or mental distress: Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line:
1-888-429-8167

For Confidential support to post-secondary students in Nova Scotia:
Good2Talk: 1-833-292-3698
or text GOOD2TALKNS to 686868

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program for the Halifax area:
902-425-0122

Get toll-free numbers for other Nova Scotia regions

 

EMERGENCY CONTACT
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

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African Female

I don’t know if I can say that to a counsellor or a friend

Participant 1: So, question: Who are the people who work in there? Do they work for the school?
Facilitator: Yeah.
Participant1: What if they go talking to their friend and say, "oh, I have this girl, in here who got raped."
Facilitator: They're licenced counsellors, so they have like a confidentiality thing. So, they aren't allowed to go and talk about what you said.
Participant 1: I still wouldn't feel comfortable sitting in front of someone and being like, "Hey, my name is [participant name] and last night so and so happened. No, I'd rather...
Participant 2: I don't know if I can say that to a counsellor or to a friend.

Recommendations

  • Use an app or other tool that allows students to anonymously ask questions about sexual violence and university policies against sexual violence.

  • 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.