Talking about sexual violence takes practice. There’s no shame in that. And most of us don’t get a chance to play out the various scenarios and conversations before we’re actually having them.
When I’m out talking to people about my work, men and women of all ages want some advice and coaching on conversations that come up in their lives. What do I say if someone tells me they are a survivor? What if they mentioned it a long time ago? Do I bring it up again? What if someone mentions it on a date? At a doctor’s appointment? At work? What is the best way to respond to an article online about rape? What if I mess up and say the wrong thing? How do I recover?
These are all great questions – and I plan to answer all of them through my new video series, Conversations About Sexual Violence. This series is a way to illustrate the many, many different ways you can talk about sexual violence in everyday life. Some will be serious. Some will inject a sense of humor (yes, it’s okay to laugh when discussing rape). All of them will be practical, real-life conversations you may have already had.
Last week, the series premiered with a video about how to respond to a survivor on a date. This week, it’s how to respond to a survivor in a car. I hope you’ll check them both out and share. (And yes, that’s Russ from my TEDx talk!)
There are more videos in the works, and I plan to release a new one each week. Sign up for my email list so you can have them sent directly to your inbox. And if you have suggestions or ideas for conversations or topics to cover, please let me know in the comments!