Our Sexualized Violence Response and Education Coordinator (SVREC) provides support for all members of the Acadia community who have been affected by sexualized violence. The SVREC can provide training and guidance for those interested in supporting survivors of sexualized violence..
What if you're with a friend or in a public situation and you're not sure if someone is being abused? Gather information by asking questions. Check in and follow up with the potential victim. For example, if you see someone being treated in a way that makes you suspicious at a party, check in with that person later in the evening and make sure they're doing OK.
Can you draw the potential abuser's attention to something else, or send someone they know over to start a conversation with them? Can you pull the victim aside by asking them to help you clean something up, help you fix your makeup, hang out in a different room, etc.?
Sometimes just being near a potential victim is enough to stop abuse: it'll make it a public situation. Try to have conversations with the victim and keep hanging out with them.
If you can do it safely, call the perpetrator out on their behaviour.
If someone is being abusive, tell them they've got to go. Try to ask first. Depending on the situation, consider getting someone like a bouncer, campus security officer, etc. to ask the perpetrator to leave.
Be kind.
Someone has just told you she/he/they have been sexually assaulted. What can you do?
Learn more about how to help a friend at Break the Silence.
svrec@acadiau.ca
Messages responded to Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm