By Sheldon Spackman

‘I Believe You’ campaign launches in support of victims of sexual violence

Oct 3, 2018 | 1:41 PM

A local campaign aimed at supporting victims of sexual assault launched from the campus of Red Deer College on Wednesday.

Lead by a pair of RDC students, officials with the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) kicked-off their ‘I Believe You’ campaign, an initiative also planned for Burman University in Lacombe and Olds College in the near future.

Sarah Maetche, Administrative Assistant at CASASC, says the event has the students involved encouraging their peers to sign a graffiti wall to share the message of ‘I believe you’.

“We want to believe survivors no matter what,” states Maetche. “This year, we’ve updated the campaign to include ‘I believe you, now what?’ What are the steps after we’ve told someone ‘I believe you?’ What support can we offer and how we can assist survivors of sexual violence.”

Maetche says the first step is to tell the victim you believe them and thank them for speaking out.

project will take one year

Construction activity to start on hospital parkade expansion

12h ago

Red Deer man charged after police locate stolen vehicle

12h ago

City and County to collaborate on regional economic development with NRED grant

14h ago

“The second step would be asking them what they need,” she explains. “Do they want to seek out some counselling? Do they need to go to the hospital or do they need other resources? Maybe they just want to sit with you and feel the support from you, so it depends, maybe just ask them what they need.”

Maetche says the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) offers a wide range of supports for victims of sexual violence.

“We offer free-of-charge counselling, we have a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) team and we also have a 24-hour crisis line as well,” states Maetche. “There’s lots of resources out there. People can meet formally with someone or they can also text in if they have something going on at night and they need to talk to someone right away. We are here to support people any time of the day, 24 hours.”

Sydney Berger, third-year social work student at RDC estimates about 200 fellow students signed pledges on Wednesday to always believe a victim of sexual violence.

“We’re going to put them up around campus just to highlight to survivors how many students on campus will believe you,” exclaims Berger. “Ninety seven per cent of sexual assault cases go unreported and many people say the main reason is that they don’t think anyone will believe them, so we are just creating a campus of support and understanding for all the survivors.”

Fourth-year psychology student Sydney French hopes the event helps reduce the stigma surrounding sexual assault.

“Hopefully it can be more openly talked about on campus,” adds French. “As well as just bring knowledge out there that there is people who will believe them and they can go and talk to a friend and not be afraid that someone is going to judge them and blame them.”

Berger and French say an event called ‘I believe you, now what?’ is currently in the works for November 15 at the Margaret Parsons Theatre in Red Deer.

For more information on sexual assault support services in central Alberta, visit casasc.ca.