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Willingness to report should never be a condition for providing care or help . Care and reporting are separate actions that should not be confused .
Helpers can play important roles in a conversation about whether or not it is in the interest of a survivor to report and can support survivors to prepare their evidence if they decide to report .
Remember that :
• Sometimes it is important to report violent abuse to relevant authorities . Reviews or reporting must always be done with the consent of the survivor and in collaboration with him . Support the survivor through the process .
• Always discuss the risks that reporting involves . Reporting cases of sexual violence or abuse can create dangers for the survivor or for other people associated with him . Where the threat of harm is high , alternatives should be considered .
• The survivor should control his history and his life . Work with this principle , not against it .
• Remember that the main goal is to enable the survivor to have a better life and recover his dignity .
• Prioritise finding ways to help the survivor return to society , family , social networks , and daily life , as best he can .
• In asylum interviews , it is important to draw attention to any history of sexual violence and abuse , even if it is difficult to talk about , because such evidence can determine whether the survivor qualifies for protection .
• Helpers have specific legal responsibilities to report sexual abuse of minors . These vary in different jurisdictions .
HELP AND ACTION
3.8 Working with the family and the survivor ’ s social network and communities
Aim . To focus on the survivor ’ s and community ’ s resources .
The support of families and close friends is of the utmost importance for victims of sexual violence . If possible , talk first to family members , friends , and other members of a survivor ’ s social network – any person who the survivor trusts and agrees can be contacted . The survivor ’ s family in particular will need information and advice . Find out what the family and close contacts think about what happened . Give them relevant information about trauma and possible reactions to it . Tell them that their support is vital for the survivor ’ s recovery . If no family members or close contacts can be found or mobilised , seek to create a new support network of other survivors .
Interventions are also needed at the level of the community . Helpers can provide different forms of support to individuals who have suffered violence and loss ; they also need to understand and prepare the situation into which boys , men and LGBTQI + persons will return . As psychiatrist and researcher Judith Herman ( 1992 ) has noted , relationships play an essential role in recovery ; a survivor cannot recover in isolation . The wider community makes an essential contribution to healing processes .