Harmful and helpful responses

Do not	Do
Judge Asking the person direct questions, trying to pull out details or talking incessantly.	Listen Listening to what they say without judgement and letting them express themselves in their own way and at their own pace.
Doubt Appearing to be sceptical or questioning what the person tells you.	Believe Believing what they tell you because it’s their experience and their perception. For the moment, you must focus on what they are saying and experiencing.
Trivialize, minimize or over-dramatize	Receive Receiving what the person says without minimalizing or amplifying the facts, emotions or consequences.
Emphasize the person's weaknesses, what they could have said or done	Encourage their strengths Recognizing their accomplishments and stress their strength and courage for talking about the traumatic experience.
Ignore Not getting involved in their story under the pretext that it’s not your business or that it’s not your problem or ignoring their request for help.	Give your support Showing that you’re available whether for talking or to accompany them. If you feel incapable of helping them, it is important to tell them and to help them find another person who will be able to do so.
Blame Blaming the person for what they didn’t do or implying that they must have provoked the incident or that they are partially responsible for what happened to them.	Remove guilt Getting them to understand that it’s not their fault, that the aggressor is completely responsible for his actions and that their responsibility is to take care of themselves.
Over-protect Smothering the person or over-protecting them by forbidding them to go out, see friends or sleep away from home.	Foster their independence Helping them take back power over their life while also being there and giving them room to breathe and start functioning normally again.
Turn the page Keeping the person from expressing negative emotions they feel under the pretext that they mustn’t live in the past or that it isn’t good for them.	Validate their feelings Helping them express what they feel by normalizing their reactions, emotions and feelings (anger, resentment, guilt, low self-esteem, etc.).

Do not

Do

Judge

Asking the person direct questions, trying to pull out details or talking incessantly.

Listen

Listening to what they say without judgement and letting them express themselves in their own way and at their own pace.

Doubt

Appearing to be sceptical or questioning what the person tells you.

Believe

Believing what they tell you because it’s their experience and their perception. For the moment, you must focus on what they are saying and experiencing.

Trivialize, minimize or over-dramatize

Receive

Receiving what the person says without minimalizing or amplifying the facts, emotions or consequences.

Emphasize the person's weaknesses, what they could have said or done

Encourage their strengths

Recognizing their accomplishments and stress their strength and courage for talking about the traumatic experience.

Ignore

Not getting involved in their story under the pretext that it’s not your business or that it’s not your problem or ignoring their request for help.

Give your support

Showing that you’re available whether for talking or to accompany them. If you feel incapable of helping them, it is important to tell them and to help them find another person who will be able to do so.

Blame

Blaming the person for what they didn’t do or implying that they must have provoked the incident or that they are partially responsible for what happened to them.

Remove guilt

Getting them to understand that it’s not their fault, that the aggressor is completely responsible for his actions and that their responsibility is to take care of themselves.

Over-protect

Smothering the person or over-protecting them by forbidding them to go out, see friends or sleep away from home.

Foster their independence

Helping them take back power over their life while also being there and giving them room to breathe and start functioning normally again.

Turn the page

Keeping the person from expressing negative emotions they feel under the pretext that they mustn’t live in the past or that it isn’t good for them.

Validate their feelings

Helping them express what they feel by normalizing their reactions, emotions and feelings (anger, resentment, guilt, low self-esteem, etc.).

Leave this site quickly
NOTICE: COVID-19
In order to minimize potential COVID-19 exposure, the Human Rights Office will carry-out its appointments and meetings by distance until further notice. Our mailboxes are checked several times during office hours. To speed up the processing of your request, we recommend submitting it by email at respect@uOttawa.ca. A Human Rights Office staff member will soon be in contact with you to set-up an appointment by phone, or via an adapted remote meeting format.
If this is an emergency, please call Protection Services at 613-562-5411.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
The Human Rights Office

Harmful and helpful responses

Do

Disclose an Incident - Online Form

Upcoming events

Sexual Assault Prevention Month | May 2022

Canadian Summit on the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Higher Education (June 2022)

Did you know?

Tools and resources