Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence and Rape

By Holly Madden

This resource provides practical and trauma-informed steps in providing support for someone who discloses an experience of sexual violence and trauma. This resource is inspired by my own experience as a survivor of rape, and as support for other survivors.

Trauma Training Takeaways: Supporting those who have experienced significant trauma like sexual violence can be incredible triggering and even traumatic for those providing support and care. This type of trauma is called secondary trauma. Secondary Trauma can be defined as, “Secondary traumatic stress is the emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the firsthand trauma experiences of another “ (1). As a support person, be gentle with yourself, especially if you have a history of sexual violence yourself. Carve out space fo listen to your body and care for yourself in ways that are most supportive to you. Go to therapy. Get enough sleep. Drink enough water. And surround yourself with a positive support system.

1 Peterson, Sarah. “Secondary Traumatic Stress.” The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, October 22, 2018. https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/secondary-traumatic-stress.