Perspectives on responses to sexual assault

Participant 1: It would make a world of difference for a lot of people to hear, “I support whatever choice you make; these are your choices, it’s okay to do that.” Not, “you should,” necessarily,…

I think you need to have big ears and a big heart. Its about listening, like, active listening, not just listening – letting that person tell their story the way that they want to. Um,…

I want to make her feel as comfortable as she can in doing whatever she feels like she needs to do. I don’t know, because you can’t put yourself in that other person’s shoes, so…

Participant 1: The support person should be honest about what they can provide and what they can’t provide. Maybe they are being triggered themselves and really can’t be there, and as difficult as that would…

I think people should maybe be more aware of informal resolution because I never really knew that existed or that it was an option. I mean, it’s a good way for people not to get…

Participant 1: I wonder if there could be a part [of the policy] that would be like, “have you sexually [pause]- do you feel like there are shades of grey?” Because maybe they had sex…

I know that language can be a huge barrier and also when you look around, and all you see are white faces, and you are not [white], that can be very intimidating and unwelcoming. So,…

If my friend disclosed to me, I think I would want to know whether she felt safe at that moment. I’d ask what she needed from me, how I could help in terms of talking,…

Participant 1: You would have to listen, and from my personal experience, I’ve always found support in my peers. So, talking to someone who has either experienced sexual assault or somebody trained in it and…