Learn how to give support to survivors of violence.
Violence of any nature can be incredibly difficult for people to process. It is common for people to feel uncomfortable when listening to others describe their experience—we’re worried about saying the wrong thing, not knowing how to help, and sometimes can even feel our own experiences and trauma come forward again.
The most important thing we can do when someone tells us about their experience of being harmed is to let them know that we believe them, we care for them, and there is nothing they did to cause the violence that was done to them.
After that, let them drive the conversation how they want! If someone discloses to you, it means there is a level of trust there; it takes a lot of courage to talk about violence, so that trust is important to maintain if we want to support others.
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Listen without judgement
Allow the person to share without interruptions - 2
Believe
Accept the disclosure as truth - 3
Avoid asking why questions
Instead, ask "How can I best support you?" - 4
Give options on what to do next
But trust them to make their own choices - 5
Respect their privacy
Make every effort to respect confidentiality - 6
Take care of yourself
Avoid putting yourself at risk by taking on more than you can handle
Adapted from SACE's graphic on supporting a friend
Important: some survivors may not be ready to accept professional help, and that's their choice. Accept "no" as an answer, and respect this decision unless someone's life may be in danger.
Get involved
Looking to gain more experience related to mental health and violence prevention? Are you passionate about creating healthy, supportive communities?
Volunteer with us! Whether it’s working to develop events and initiatives, build awareness around multiple topics, or meet other like-minded people, there are lots of reasons to join our team.
Take a look at the current opportunities below and submit an application using this form. If you have any questions, please contact us at consent@norquest.ca.
Engagement & Support Volunteer
Assist staff in planning and running programming for the Violence Prevention and Support Team, including tabling events across campus. Engagement & Support Volunteers also provide general support and referrals, as needed.
Program Facilitator Volunteer
Help the Centre for Growth and Harmony staff with workshops and presentations.
Digital Media Creation Volunteer
Curate, develop, and maintain the Centre for Growth and Harmony’s online presence on social media platforms and other NorQuest related digital areas.
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Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence course
Learn about sexual assault, stigma and myth-busting, the impact of sexual violence, consent, and how to respond to disclosures of sexual violence in this free, online and self-paced course.
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Learner in Distress model
The Learner in Distress model at NorQuest provides a good framework for how to connect people to resources if that’s what they are looking for, while encouraging you to recognize your own capacity and limits within any situation.
External trainings
- Western University Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children
- Ending Violence Against Women International
- Empowering Them
- Signal for Help
- Courage to Act
- Initiative to End Gender-Based Violence