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902-425-0122

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African Female

Maybe a female is better for talking to

I feel that when a person is reporting a case, it can have a little bit of influence depending on the gender of the person to whom they're reporting. Let’s say, the person identifies as female and [is] reporting the case to [..] a male, and they were assaulted by a male, maybe they are not comfortable reporting a case. Maybe they would feel more comfortable reporting the case to someone that’s the same gender. [...] Because I feel like, in media, men tend to invalidate the feeling of sexual assault towards women. I'm not saying that’s the case for all men, but it’s stereotypically true, so I think maybe a female is better for talking to.

Recommendations

  • 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.