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Latin American Female

That is not why sexual assault happens

They [survivors] don’t wanna hear, "Oh, you should have done this," or "What were you wearing?"or "What were you doing? Were you drinking? Were you drunk?" Because that is just judging the person and that is not why sexual violence happens. So, I feel like it is important that the supporter is someone that is willing to actively listen and show support, validate what they say, tell them what’s the correct thing to do from that point.

Recommendations

  • Use approaches that are trauma informed and survivor-centred.

  • 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.