How to Get Help - Support Options
How to Get Help - Support Options
Support for Sexual Harassment
Getting the right support at the right times can make a big difference. Support services can help you work out what has happened, understand your response, offer space to think about what you would like to do and support you with your next steps.
This page is intended to help you find out about the support services that are available. It covers support services for:
- People who have experienced sexual harassment
- Support people, friends, colleagues, and family
- People who have done harm or been accused of harm
- Businesses/PCBUs who would like to do prevention or who are dealing with an incident
If the first support service you call is not what you are looking for, please do try again or get some support from someone you trust to help you find one that feels right.
If sexual assault has just happened or if someone is currently in danger, please call the Police on 111.
For information about a restorative approach, and other external resolution options please click HERE
1. People who have experienced sexual harassment
There are a range of free support services across Aotearoa for people who have experienced sexual harassment.
The national sexual harm helpline Safe-To-Talk 0800 044 334/ TXT 4334 and HELP Auckland 0800 623 1700 are 24/7 services that can offer support and can help you find a service that is close to you. You do not have to give your name if you want to remain anonymous.
In some areas of Aotearoa, there are also kaupapa Māori services available and most Tauiwi and Māori sexual harm services are listed online on the TOAH NNEST website.
If you are looking for free counselling or support for sexual harm, you may be eligible for ACC Sensitive Claims counselling which you can access through your doctor, HELP, Safe to Talk or the ACC Find Support website.
Looking for a support service
A good support service is one that:
- is trained in working with people who have experienced sexual harm(specialist)
- believes you
- keeps your information confidential (unless you or someone else is at risk but they should talk with you about this)
- supports you to make your own decisions
- recognises that sexual harassment can affect people in different ways and tailors what they do to fit what you need.
If sexual harassment has just happened
If you’ve just been sexually harassed, the first thing to focus on is your own safety, physically, spiritually and emotionally. If possible, getting somewhere safe, away from the person who did the harm is a good first step.
You may also need to attend to the first intense feelings that often happen immediately after the abuse (fright, numbness, confusion) and whatever you need in order to do this is ok.
If you would like to access support, you can contact HELP on 0800 623 1700
(24/7 crisis line) or Safe-To-Talk on 0800 044 334/ TXT 4334 to talk through what’s happening for you and to find out about your options, including whether what has happened is also a crime.
If the harassment included behaviour that is a crime (like unwanted sexual touching or penetration or drug rape) there may be an opportunity in the first seven days to gather physical evidence. This kind of evidence can support you if you ever decide to report the crime to the Police. Even if you are not sure if you want to report the crime to the Police, you can talk with HELP about the process for gathering evidence in a ‘Just in Case’ medical examination that you can either use or discard once you have decided what you want to do.
Your local sexual violence service can provide a free advocate to support you if you want to talk to the police about what has happened. Click HERE to find out more about reporting to the Police. This service is available from crisis services across Aotearoa. You can find your nearest sexual violence support service by contacting Safe-To-Talk on 0800 044 334/ TXT 4334
VIEW OR DOWNLOAD A PDF LIST OF SUPPORT OPTIONS AVAILABLE
2. Support people - friends, colleagues and Family - anyone who has been affected
Supporting someone who has been harmed:
Being a friend, partner, colleague and support person to someone who has experienced sexual harm is an important role and can aid significantly in their healing.
The best way to help is to listen well and take what they have to say seriously. If they don’t want to talk about it, or don’t want to take it any further, do not push them. Having control over what happens next, who and when they tell things is an important aspect of control for many people who’ve experienced harm.
Resources to help you know how to support someone who has been harmed:
- ScreenSafe ‘Receiving Disclosures’ pamphlet
- HELP’s webpage about supporting someone who has experienced sexual harm
- Booking in for Professional Respect training to assist you to be more aware of what sexual harassment can look like and how to behave mindfully and supportively.
If you are supporting someone who is interested in finding out about the options available to them after sexual harm has happened, you can anonymously call HELP on 0800 623 1700 or Safe-To-Talk on 0800 044 334/ TXT 4334.
Remember to look after yourself. Please note that all the services available for people who have been harmed (see above section) are also available to support you.
Whether you are looking for information about available options for your colleague/friend, or you would like to talk about your feelings about what they have told you, these services are freely available throughout Aotearoa.
Supporting someone who has been accused or who has done harm:
If you are supporting someone who has been accused or who has done harm to another person, you can support them to get the help they need to consider what has happened, and to get support to develop more appropriate and healthy relationships.
Click HERE for a list of services for people who have been accused of who have done harm.
You can also check out the ‘Receiving Disclosures’ pamphlet.
Remember to look after yourself. Safe To Talk provides online and telephone support services for anyone affected by sexual harm. This includes people around the survivor or person accused. You can call and talk through anything that you want to about the situation, whether it is finding out about options for the person you are supporting, or talking about your own reactions to what you have heard and the ripple out into the community.
Services are free and available 24/7 from Safe to talk on 0800 044 334 or text 4334 (24/7).
3. People who have done harm or been accused of harm
Sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace undermine the relationships between colleagues and cause distress to those involved.
People who have done harm or have been accused can access support to consider the behaviours that have led to the situation, to discuss ways forward and to develop more appropriate and healthy relationships.
For people wishing to make an apology or meet with the person who has been harmed, please contact the Restorative Practitioners listed on the External Resolution Options page.
VIEW OR DOWNLOAD A PDF LIST OF SUPPORT OPTIONS AVAILABLE
4. PCBUs/ businesses who would like to do prevention or who are dealing with an incident.
People with responsibility for managing the risks of sexual harassment, or for dealing with reports of sexual harassment can also access support for themselves and all people involved.
For support for after something has happened see:
1. The list of sexual harm support providers HERE (most services can help you work out what to do next and can help you find support for everyone involved)
2. A lawyer, HR consultant
3. The External Resolution Options page.
If you are looking for support to deal with a situation of sexual harassment and would like to talk through your next steps, contact HELP on 0800 6231700 or Safe to talk on 0800 044 334 or text 4334 (24/7).
Specialist Support for Prevention of Sexual Harassment
1. Respect ED:
website: www.respected.org.nz
phone: 04 801 8975
A charitable trust that works with schools, organisations and community groups to support positive cultures, build respectful relationships and prevent sexual harm. They provide advice, education and training services to help a range of organisations to prevent sexual harassment and other forms of harm.
2. Rape Prevention Education:
website: www.rpe.org.nz
Phone: 09 360 4001
Email: info@rapecrisis.org.nz
Rape Prevention Education (RPE) works in the greater Auckland area and nationally to prevent sexual violence through the delivery of education and health promotion and prevention activities.
3. START:
website: www.starthealing.org
Phone: (03) 355 4414.
Christchurch-based Sexual Harm service offering tailor made education programmes, support and counselling services.
4. Korowai Tumanako:
website: www.korowaitumanako.org
Email: korowai@korowaitumanako.org
Kaupapa Māori Survivor and Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service – North Island. Sexual violence prevention education and support to whanau, therapeutic supervision and training to local professionals and support workers and clinical treatment for young people and adults who have participated in harmful sexual behaviour.
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Thank you to SoundCheck Aotearoa for their generous sharing of this support page.