People find it shameful, wherever you go
What I am thinking is, like, obviously, sexual assault, people find it shameful. Like, wherever you go, there’s that shame associated with being sexually assaulted. But I feel like it’s really, really prevalent in the Middle East; and that’s probably why I would say more than half of women do not come forward about it. So that, just [for] somebody from here, I feel like that’s an important thing to know.
Recommendations
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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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Consider how a student's identities might affect their expectations and concerns when accessing supports following a sexual assault, or when involved in a sexual assault investigation.
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Ensure all sexual violence prevention and response education and training opportunities actively deconstruct victim-blaming, rape myths and gender norms. Ensure these sessions take an intersectional approach to understanding sexual violence and supporting victim/survivors.