EVERY RESPONSE MATTERS

SHARE YOURS!

WHEN RESPONDING TO SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS,
EVERY RESPONSE MATTERS

When sexual assault victims turn to us, we know that every response matters. The responses of friends and family members matter. The responses of police officers, nurses, and advocates matter. Simply put, every response to a sexual assault victim matters, because it can have a powerful impact on their healing process and pursuit of justice.

Please consider sharing your story – whether it is about a time when someone disclosed to you about their sexual assault, or you disclosed to someone else. We want to understand the impact of these responses. What happens to survivors when we Start by Believing? What happens when we don’t?

Particularly as responding professionals, how does Start by Believing affect the way we do our jobs? Do we listen more carefully? Take more investigative steps? Document cases more thoroughly? Pursue cases more vigorously?

Our plan is to use some of these stories for training, social media, and other purposes. So although we ask for your first name, you are free to use a pseudonym or “opt out” of allowing us to use it. Your last name and email address are both optional. Just be careful to avoid identifying anyone other than yourself in your story. Don’t use their real name or divulge identifiable information such as a date or location of a sexual assault.

Thanks for sharing your story!