Moving Beyond Compliance: Providing Emotional First Aid to Student Survivors of Sexual Violence

It is no secret that Title IX compliance has become a monumental issue in Higher Education and within the field of Student Affairs. With documentaries like The Hunting Ground and websites like Know Your IX http://knowyourix.org/ we are inundated with all the ways administrators fail or re-victimize students. As compassionate professionals we want to create safe spaces where students open up yet have to be mindful about mandated reporting requirements. Even when we’re compliant, we may still be causing harm without knowing it. What are the right things to say? How do we best respond to student survivors? Have no fear! Here is a list of tips and tricks to use when working survivors of sexual violence:

First of all, let the student know about your status as a mandated reporter. You cannot promise them full confidentiality. Explain to them what the investigation process looks like at your institution. If you’re unsure, ask your Title IX Coordinator. If they desire a confidential resource help them obtain counseling on-campus or if your institution has an Advocacy Coordinator, walk the student to them.

After discussing confidentiality, if the student decides to share their narrative here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Listening. It seems so simple right? But what I mean here is active listening. Not thinking of your grocery list or the emails you need to respond to. Really listening to what the student is telling you. You might be surprised by how much is shared when the survivor has an opportunity to open up.
2. Believing. Survivors of sexual violence are often treated as if they’re lying until it is proven they’re not. We should have the reverse approach as the rates of false reports are comparable to other crimes. It is important that we believe survivors! It takes a lot of bravery and courage to share these narratives.
3. Empowering. This can be challenging. We care so deeply for our students that we want to provide them advice. For instance “you should go to the police,” or “you should go to the hospital.” A survivor of sexual violence just had their power taken away. We want to provide them options and referrals in order to empower them to make the best choices for themselves.  
4. Supporting. So we’re doing our best at empowering survivors but we also have to support the choices they make. Every survivor has different needs. For some people going to the hospital, getting the kit done, and reporting to the police is what they need. For others getting counseling is the priority. We can also support survivors by helping them navigate campus systems and processes.
5. Discussing self-care. Ask them what they do to take care of themselves. This way when you follow-up (and you should follow-up) you have something to ask them about. For instance, “when we last spoke you said you love petting your dog when you’re stressed out. Have you been spending time with your dog?”

Providing emotional first aid to survivors of sexual violence or students in crisis can be exhausting. It’s important to remember that we don’t have to be experts, there are services on-campus and in the community that provide advocacy and support. However, it is important to remember that when a student chooses us to hear their narrative it’s because they have bond with and trust us. When a survivor tells their narrative for the first time and feels heard, believed, empowered, and supported they are more likely to reflect back positively on their healing process. We can change campus climates by providing spaces full of compassion and care.

Hannah Retzkin-Simson volunteers as a medical advocate with the agency Rape Victim Advocates (RVA). She is passionate about connecting interpersonal violence advocacy and prevention with education at the college level. She received her M.Ed. in Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago in 2013. Currently Ms. Retzkin-Simson works at Northeastern Illinois University in the Office for the Vice President of Student Affairs as well as coordinates advocacy services for students in crisis. Hannah identifies strongly as a life-long learner and is committed to living a fun, authentic, life.