New RSACC Report highlighting the trauma suffered by sexual violence survivors by Rape Myths
The Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre - Darlington and County Durham (RSACC) - the only specialist sexual violence charity in the area - has launched a new Rape Myths Impact report - after speaking to its staff, volunteers and local survivors of sexual violence. The report, which is based upon life experiences from local survivors and RSACC’s own staff and volunteers, paints a very poor picture of how many are often responded to with rape myths that place responsibility and guilt upon them.
Isabel Owens, RSACC CEO commented:
“November 25th was the start of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence and it is shocking to read in this report how despite the many campaigns and initiatives, sexual violence survivors are still being retraumatised by the responses they receive. It’s often professionals, friends and family members who don’t know how best to respond and may often repeat rape myths, rather than believing the survivor.”
Rape myths are widely held attitudes and false beliefs that deny and justify rape and sexual abuse. They include: placing the blame on the survivor for what they were wearing, how much they had had to drink, where they were and how late they were out. that it was their fault and they were to blame. This can also lead to survivors failing to come forward for support and low reporting rates to the police.
As a specialist sexual violence charity supporting survivors for over 30 years, RSACC has used its extensive experience to produce guidance on how best to respond to a survivor when they disclose. And disclosure can happen to anyone, at any time. Not just to friends and family but to professionals such as the doctors, nurses and teachers as well as in the workplace within human resources or to line managers. That’s why it also offers training courses to support organisations in the care and well-being of their staff who are survivors, or maybe supporting survivors.
To read the report go to: https://buff.ly/46lW9m8.
