Demystifying Support Services for Sexual Harm: Where and How to Reach Out
- Salient Mag
- May 5
- 5 min read
Providing lists of resources is essential when advocating for sexual harm awareness. However, speaking as a person who has accessed some of these support services before, simply having a list of links and phone numbers extended to you with no further explanation on what to expect can feel like being dropped off with a map in the middle of a desert. Even when you become aware of avenues to support, actually reaching out for help still requires a massive amount of courage, and the anxieties that surround it often hinder victims from reaching out until they feel it is “too late” to do so; the issue is no longer pertinent, they should “just move on”, and it would be more trouble than it's worth to go “dredging up the past”. If these types of thoughts are at all familiar to you, I want to tell you that this is not true. If you feel as though reporting what happened to you would be beneficial to your recovery, whether it be to the university, a support service, or the police, it is not too late to do so, nor is any reasoning for doing so ever not “severe” enough.
I wanted to write this article because I often feel there is something lacking in typical directives to support services, especially for students or young people who have not accessed them before. I hope that by providing a bit more information on what these services offer might make accessing them more approachable. If you know someone who might need these services, this article might help you understand better how to help them to access the right one for them. This is not an all-encompassing list due to limitations, so for more options for support, reach out to VUWSA advocacy, Mauri Ora, or another support service for advice.
Student Interest and Conflict Resolution
Access this page on the VUW website for links to university policy on sexual harassment and assault. You can meet with the conflict resolution team to make a report of sexual harm at the university. If you are an international student, making a report will not affect your visa, and the conflict resolution team cannot share confidential information with family, or anyone, without your consent. You can choose to make a disclosure, a record of the incident which will not result in any action, or a complaint, from which action will be taken. Another person can make a complaint or disclosure to the university on your behalf with your consent, and you are able to bring another person with you for support.
Mauri Ora - Student Health and Counselling
Mauri Ora can provide care after sexual harm has occurred. For non-urgent support, call 04 463 5308 to speak to a nurse who will make an appointment for you. For immediate care, Mauri Ora recommends you contact Wāhi Mārie (0800 SAFE SPACE 0800 723 377 Mon-Fri 9am-4pm – appointments for sexual harm survivors are free) or a local clinic. Wāhi Mārie providers can perform a forensic exam if you so choose, to collect DNA for a police report.
VUWSA Advocacy Services
If you want to speak to someone on campus who is independent from the university, you may prefer to access VUWSA support as a first point of contact. VUWSA’s advocacy service can provide advice and help you understand your rights and options in relation to any concerns you might have. They can provide information on available services and prepare you for any meetings, as well as attend them with you if you wish. They can provide information on both academic and non-academic issues, so don’t be afraid to contact them and ask how they can help. They can be contacted via email or by filling out the form on the VUWSA Advocacy web page.
Safe to Talk
A sexual harm support helpline that can be accessed over phone call and text at their website or on 0800 044 334. The website provides a ‘quick exit’ button and instructions on using incognito mode in case you need to access the site secretly. The site has information tabs for Māori, Pasifika, male survivors, LGBTQI, and migrants and refugees.
Better Blokes
Support service for male survivors of sexual harm. Better Blokes facilitates one-on-one and peer support groups for men, and their services are free of charge. The groups are not led by qualified therapists, rather trained support workers. Their number is 0800 448 484.
The Road Forward
An all gender, ethnicity, religion, disability and LTBTQIA+ inclusive organisation that provides one-to-one, couple, and group support meetings for survivors of sexual harm. Their contact number is 0800 118 104, and anyone over the age of 18 can access their services, which are free of charge.
ACC Sensitive Claims
Sexual abuse can be filed through ACC’s ‘Sensitive Claims’ process. Through sensitive claims, you can access therapy and other support services which would privately come at a high cost for free. Search ACC sensitive claims to find information on how to lodge a claim and a directory of the services they cover. I personally have been regularly seeing a psychologist for the last three or so years at no cost because of this option.
NZ Police:
Through the police website under ‘Advice and Services’, you can access a PDF called ‘Information for sexual assault victims’, which walks you through the process of making a complaint to the police, and receiving specialist support. You can begin the process of reporting an incident by going to a police station in person, or over the phone. If you phone in, tell the person who receives you that you would like to report a rape or sexual assault, and they will direct you on next steps.
Regarding the police, in New Zealand, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault; you can report it regardless of whether it happened a week ago, months ago, or years ago. Taking into account that many victims may not feel comfortable going to the police for a litany of reasons, I want to stress that whatever avenue feels appropriate for you is the correct path. If you feel you would benefit from legal justice, accessing police services may be right for you; you are also not obligated to report anything if you do not wish to, regardless of advice.
The decision to reach out, and where to, is for nobody but you to make. It is also perfectly okay to try a support service, and decide it is not for you. Your story is yours to tell, and your participation in a support service, yours to rescind. Support services exist to service your needs, not the other way around. Making the decision to access a service should not ever make you feel trapped or locked in to escalation – you should not be urged by any service or institution to go to the police unless in specific circumstances, for example, if you or another person/s are in immediate danger. If you are concerned about the safety or behaviour of a peer, contact a public support service, the police, or university support services for advice.
Lilly Kelleher
