What fears do our communications need to consider?
specfic fears
Fear is powerful and should never be underestimated. Individuals who have experienced sexual harm may have very specific fears, which are often based in reality and reflective of their own personal experiences or that of people they know. This can impact how the messages we wish to communicate are received. When designing our communications we should consider that individuals may be fearful of many things including one or more of the following:
- Facing their trauma
- Not being believed or being doubted because what they experienced happened in the past
- Some of the emotional and physical responses generated by their trauma
- Being blamed (directly or implied) for what has happened
- Being laughed at or made fun of
- Being judged for finding it challenging to do things a result of their experience that other people may find easy to do (eg getting up in the morning, looking after themselves, going to the shops, going to work, being around other people, being on time for an appointment etc)
- Talking to strangers and other people about an intimate and traumatic experience
- Having their experience reported in the media or on social media
- Having to be near the person who has harmed/is harming them (ie at home, work or school)
- Having to disclose other intimate details about themselves
- Being outed as LGBTQ+ (and then the discrimination that they may experience as a result of that)
- Not being understood properly (for example if their first language is not English)
- Not being able to find the words to describe what has happened (for example it can be challenging for women to find the language to describe non-consensual sex between women).
- Not believing that their identity can be protected, particularly if they live in a small community
- Being treated and judged as a stereotype (eg a harmful perception that all gay men are ‘promiscuous’) – myths and stereotypes experienced by the LGBTQ+ community are listed on the CPS website at https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/same-sex-sexual-violence-and-sexual-violence-involving-trans-complainant-or
- Being seen as someone who should have ‘fought back’ or ‘run away’
- Having to disclose being in a polyamorous relationship
- Having to disclose that the harm took place in breach of Covid-19 regulations (for example at a house party)
- Having to disclose that the harm took place during what may be perceived by others as ‘unconventional sexual practices’ such as chemsex
- Being held accountable for use of illegal drugs
- Being judged for former convictions or breaching the law
- Having to disclose that the harm took place when they were themselves in breach of the law
- Being judged as a sex worker, and the harm they have experienced being perceived by others as an ‘occupational hazard’
- Reporting a crime against someone they know
- Reporting a crime against someone in their family
- Reprisals from the abuser
- Reprisals from someone in the family, friendship group or peers
- Not being entitled to support because what happened occurred a long time ago
- Being judged or blamed for the circumstances leading to the harm
- Not being able to remember everything
- Their social status being a factor in how they might be treated
- Religious or cultural fears
- The status of their abuser (e.g. someone in a position of power or privilege, or the abuser being someone in the workplace)
- Losing a job due to needing to take time away from work
- Not wanting to bring perceived shame onto their family
- Being disowned by their family
- What other people will think and say
- The impact on children, parents, other family members
- Going to a police station
- Talking with police officers
- How police officers or others in authority may treat them
- Talking with someone of a specific gender
- Having to go somewhere they don’t know for a medical examination
- Having to experience an intimate medical examination
- Knowing that the violence or harm is likely to happen again
- Fear of the stigma of being ‘a rape victim’ and the label of that
- Having nowhere to live, no source of money, or no access to healthcare if they depend on the person who is harming them
Recognising these fears may influence how, where and when we choose to communicate a specific message.
