Campaign works to reduce the stigma of sexualized violence
A new campaign ‘Let’s talk about SARAH’ is helping to reduce stigma and spread the word about local resource Survivor’s Hope.
“Survivor’s Hope is a sexual violence resource center, working with survivors in the Interlake-Eastern area, to provide counselling and crisis services, as well as education for students in schools, and community outreach and workshops,” explained Coral Kendel, executive director of Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre.
This campaign is a continuation of a campaign that they have been running since October of last year it started as their ‘Did you hear about SARAH?’ campaign and is continuing with ‘Let’s talk about SARAH’.
“The intention is to reduce the stigma that survivors of sexualized violence have experienced and [especially] knowing that that’s even more prevalent in small communities. And so, we’re hoping to rally communities to come together in support of survivors and raise awareness about our services,” said Kendel.
Residents in the area will notice throughout the community that ‘Let’s talk about SARAH’ information will pop up more on social media.
“The first phase was a sort of vigilante marketing within communities in a grassroots way through posters and magnets. [This was meant] to really raise some interest in this tagline of ‘Did you hear about SARAH?’ Once folks visit that QR code, it takes them to our website and gives them further information about sexualized violence and about our services. With phase two of the campaign [which is taking place now] it’s the ‘Let’s talk about SARAH’ aspect. So it more broadly presents that we need to be talking about [sexualized violence] and that Survivor’s Hope is a resource in the Interlake-Eastern area. [This information will be going out] through YouTube ads, Spotify ads, ads on QX 104, and through media outlets,” said Kendel.
Something that Kendel says that people may not understand is that statistics around sexualized violence are always incredibly underrepresented.
“The vast number of people that don’t make formal reports and don’t become part of those statistics. Fortunately, with our programs, we don’t require anyone to have had any sort of formal contact, whether that’s medical or legal. Instead, we can be a first point for anyone to share their story and get support and help them explore all of the different options that they might have with what their healing journey looks like,” said Kendel.
This means that Survivor’s Hope has the ability to help in recent events by helping residents at the hospital or in a crisis situation or they can provide resources to people who want to recover from a past event and will work with people to find the journey that works best for them.
“The resources that are available for any survivor are really that long-term counselling and the ability to heal through a therapeutic relationship. We also have support groups. We do legal navigation with folks to decide if it is something they want to formally report and recognizing the impacts of that decision. [We also help with] other resource navigation if there are other services they’re looking to support them as well. I also want to note that we support secondary victims as well. So, someone who might not have had that personal experience with sexualized violence but loves someone who has and feels affected by it,” said Kendel.
Survivor’s Hope is available to any person of any gender who is above the age of 13 and feels impacted by sexualized violence.
“In an indirect way that is all of us. It’s a human issue. Our full spectrum support may begin in a school by teaching youth about healthier relationships and prevention. Then it may be that later on, we’re providing support to someone who’s actually had a harmful experience, or for those who are affected by it indirectly, whether that’s a service provider, a loved one, or providing more capacity-building opportunities for other service providers. As well [we’re there with] community outreach like this campaign. A big focus of it is on how we can rally communities together and strengthen our communities and make them healthier. And so, in that way, it absolutely affects all of us, because we all have a role in preventing and stopping sexualized violence and supporting survivors of sexualized violence,” said Kendel.
There is harm done to our community through silence because of the stigma that this creates towards people who have experienced sexualized violence.
“By not talking about it, it doesn’t make the problem go away. It only shows survivors that they are not supported and increases stigma, and increases the compounding of the trauma that they’ve already experienced by ostracizing them or shaming them or creating internalized shame and further negative outcomes like coping methods, mental health problems, and suicide. It affects our community greatly and affects survivors really personally. And so, to support those who are our loved ones, who are people that we know, is really sending a message to all survivors that we believe you, we support you, and we know where you can get help,” said Kendel.
Kendel wants people who have experienced sexualized violence to know that Survivor’s Hope is a resource available to them.
“I want to stress that the decision to share an experience of sexualized violence with anyone is incredibly courageous and to know that doing that within a small community can feel like a huge risk. But at Survivor’s Hope we do our utmost to maintain all confidentiality, really recognizing the nuances of that. And so, we are someone you can share with, we can provide resources, and we believe you,” said Kendel.
To reach out to Survivor’s Hope you can contact them online at https://survivors-hope.ca/ or by phone at 204-753-5353.
