Supporting Survivors of Violence (1)

How best can we support survivors of violence?

One way is to simply listen. It takes courage for survivors to open up about their experience and it is important that they have an active listener in you.

Do not be in a hurry to have them tell you everything. Make them feel comfortable talking to you. Maintain eye contact when possible and lay attention to the survivor.

A barrier to active listening is judging people. It’s not your place to judge, as survivors are not at fault for their experiences.

It’s so important that we teach our children/wards/younger ones to have trusted adults who they can confide in. They do not have to be family members, as sometimes, family members are the perpetrators of violence and would often want to cover up.

Listen. Simply listen.