Friends and Family of Survivors
How to Help a Friend who is a Survivor of Sexual Assault or Relationship Violence
- Listen, and do not judge.
- Believe his or her story.
- Give comfort, if he or she wants it.
- Be available and offer shelter if he or she doesn't want to be alone.
- Let he or she know that he or she is not to blame.
- Help him or her figure out his or her options for what action to take, but accept his or her choice of solution.
- Put aside your own feelings, and deal with them somewhere else.
Know that a Survivor often needs to:
- Know his or her options.
- Feel safe.
- Be believed.
- Know it was not his or her fault.
- Take control of his or her life.
SARN is here to support you too! If you need to talk, please consider our free and confidential services! We know that being a friend or family member is often very difficult and stressful, but also know that the survivor appreciates your willingness to listen and care.
Please feel free to direct the survivor to other resources or to contact SARN, especially if you start to feel overwhelmed.
Thanks for being a good friend!