Perspectives on responses to sexual assault

Just being able to say, “okay, it doesn’t matter – your race doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter where you are from, these things can happen.” I think people should understand that it can be easier…

Participant 1: Yeah, like how does that stuff work when you’re an international student? Like, are there additions for you because you’re an international student, so your needs may be different from that of a…

The relationship dynamics within the Caribbean, like, every relationship, is different but a lot of behaviours are normalized in our culture that would be seen as, I don’t wanna say abuse, like, basically, a lot…

Facilitator: Participant 1, how do you think your parents would respond to the policy? Participant 1: They wouldn’t listen. They would tell me, “Call the police! Call the embassy!” They will tell me, “Call all…

I think one piece of advice I will have is for them to treat every experience as individual. I wouldn’t want to say it all depends on culture- we are so diverse in a way…

Facilitator: What are some things we would ask ourselves when making suggestions [to a friend who has been sexually assaulted]? What would we need to think about before giving advice? Participant 1: Did you give…

Participant 1: Yeah, don’t wash afterwards. Participant 2: Yeah, ’cause the DNA is still on you. Participant 3: Like, if something happened to your friend, you should ask if they showered. […] Participant 1: If…

[When supporting a survivor], I would say try to be less formal – be informal! Like, act as if you care and are not just asking me because you have to […]. And don’t come…

Facilitator: Do you think that you would visit a counsellor’s office to ask for help if something like this happened? Participant 1: Here? Facilitator: Yeah. Participant 1: I’ve never been there, but honestly, no. Participant…

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…