A discussion about how to address sexual assault survivors is running the rounds on social media after a Quispamsis resident started a conversation on social media about Saint John’s reporting of sexual assault cases.
Ashley Saab, the Sexual Assault Response Team Coordinator at Family Plus Life Solutions said the first step in speaking to sexual assault survivors is believe them if they say they have been sexually assaulted.
“It can be painful to live through the trauma of sexual violence and then to have your experiences minimized or denied or you are blamed. This is called secondary wounding and it can feel like re-victimization,” she said.
Saab said we need to be aware of our internal biases about consent and sexual violence because they impact how people respond to and interact with someone who discloses they have been assaulted and can impact whether they chose to report, get medical care or seek counselling.
“We still hear things like what were they wearing, have the victim and accused slept together before, did the victim agree to do other stuff, were they drinking. None of this matters when it comes to consent or how a survivor feels after being assaulted,” she said.
Saab said the most important thing when speaking to sexual assault survivors is to listen, because people want to feel heard and in control.
“For a lot of people, being sexually assaulted can lead to feelings of powerlessness and a loss of control. As counselors, our job is listen, share resources and support whatever decision the survivor makes,” she said.
The Sexual Assault Response Team has been incorporated into Family Plus Life/Solutions and supports survivors of sexual violence.
Some of the services they offer include one on one counselling, public education around sexual assault, consent and healthy relationships in partnership with the Domestic Violence Outreach.
There is also a group of volunteers who helped survivors get to the hospital for care after being sexually assaulted. That has been put on hold due to COVID-19.
SART can be reached at 634-8295.
