Sexual assault and sexual violence
Supporting a survivor of sexual assault or rape can be daunting especially when it is someone close to you and you are worried about saying or doing "the wrong thing." You don't have to be an expert to support someone but there are some really simply things you can do that will help.
What can you do?
Supporting a survivor of sexual assault or rape can be daunting especially when it is someone close to you and you are worried about saying or doing "the wrong thing." You don't have to be an expert to support someone but there are some really simply things you can do that will help.
What can you do?
Safety
- Are they in immediate danger? If they are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can contact the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone) or if you are on campus, ring university Security Team 24/7 on the emergency number 0115 951 8888).
- Find a safe space. If an incident has just happened try and find somewhere they feel safe. If this isn't possible and they are scared or fearful you can suggest they call security or the emergency services on the numbers above.
Support
- Talk. If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. It is important to listen to what they want to do and respect the decision they make. If they don't want to seek support, or speak to an advisor, you can ask them if you can make an anonymous disclosure which will allow us to investigate if there are multiple instances in one area.
- Seek support. There are a number of specialist organisations and university services that provide specialist support. You could encourage the person to reach out to such support and you may also want to access this support for yourself.
If you are supporting someone else, make sure you look after yourself
- HealthyU is here to help you look after yourself as a student at the university
- If you are a member of staff, the Staff Wellbeing page has lots of information on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing.
- Togetherall is for staff and students and provides a safe space for members to engage anonymously with a wider network of people across the world who understand what it's like to struggle with mental health.