{"id":20977,"date":"2020-11-15T21:35:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T02:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=20977"},"modified":"2020-11-16T13:03:57","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T18:03:57","slug":"20977","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/20977\/","title":{"rendered":"Local counsellor advises how to support survivors of sexual violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

A social media post featuring grad photos of student Michelle Roy, which call out Mount Allison\u2019s practices around handling sexual assault on campus, has ignited an online and on-campus movement.<\/p>\n

Approximately 400 people attended a protest in front of the Wallace McCain Centre on Thursday, Nov. 12 to demonstrate concern for said practices and show support to survivors.<\/p>\n

Over 300 stories of on-campus sexual violence have been published on social media, which include experiences of university services and staff mishandling cases of assault or harassment.<\/p>\n

CHMA reached out to local support counsellor, Joanna Perkin, to discuss how one can support a survivor of sexual violence and how survivors may care for themselves while the topic is in the spotlight.<\/p>\n

Perkin is a woman\u2019s support counsellor for Autumn House in Amherst, and mainly works with women who have experienced intimate partner violence, but also many survivors of sexual assault.<\/p>\n

Perkin is not speaking on behalf of or representing Autumn House in this interview.<\/p>\n

She advises that untrained individuals have the potential to inadvertently cause harm to survivors of sexual violence, and offers advice to survivors and their loved ones in the following interview:<\/p>\n\n

 <\/p>\n

President of Mount Allison Jean Paul Boudreau sent an email with initial steps being taken by the university to address concerns of sexual violence on campus.<\/p>\n

Steps outlined in the email include:<\/p>\n