Charity Launches “Shatter the Shame” Campaign to Address Sexual Violence Stigma

An organization dedicated to assisting individuals who have experienced sexual violence has initiated a new initiative, “Shatter the Shame,” designed to challenge associated negative stigma and motivate people to access support services. The Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group reported that it provided assistance to over 1,300 individuals during the previous year. Kayleigh Adams, 23, a marketing executive employed by the charity, developed and organized this new campaign, stating her observation that many survivors of sexual violence continue to “feel guilt and shame” regarding their experiences. In connection with this campaign, the charity plans to conduct drop-in sessions each Wednesday throughout November at Peterborough City Hospital, where specialized personnel will be present to provide assistance. Established in 1983, the charity delivers confidential support, encompassing therapeutic services and practical assistance from independent sexual violence advocates (ISVA). Among the charity’s therapeutic offerings is a service named Sense, which aids survivors with stabilization, education, normalisation, social support, and engagement. A social meet-up associated with this service takes place every Thursday at the East Community Centre in the city. Since its inception three years prior, Sense has received over 1,600 referrals. Several victims described staff members as “patient” and “empowering,” with one survivor stating, “I felt my voice is being heard.” Heather Birch, the charity’s centre manager, commented: “We get a lot of word-of-mouth advocacy, and it shows confidence in our services is going up.” “We give hope for recovery to survivors and together with our clients we work out their recovery pathway.” Shamaila Mushtaq, an ISVA at the charity, focuses her work on ethnic minority groups. She noted that the organization encounters multiple obstacles in assisting survivors, including language differences and cultural stigma. Mushtaq explained: “Reporting to the police, families finding out, attending court [thinking] what might be said about personal my life. These are concerns in a survivor’s mind.” She further elaborated: “Sexual abuse or even sex isn’t spoken about much in these ethnic communities. So getting people to talk about it is the biggest barrier.” Mushtaq also stated: “For some religion is a big barrier. When it comes to sexual abuse – there is confusion- can my husband rape me? Do I need to have sex with him when he wants it?” She emphasized: “You don’t want to go all guns blazing and say this is not OK. It has to be addressed sensitively. The message is for them to know they won’t be judged.” Mushtaq concluded: “Seeds have been planted. It is a slow process, but change is happening.” Nicole Dench-Layton, representing the charity, mentioned that individuals seeking assistance from the organization are “reassured they are in a safe space.” She added: “Sometimes their biggest worry is having a wash after what happened to them.” Dench-Layton continued: “We try to make them feel comfortable about themselves and support them with what they need.” Ms. Adams commented: “[Sexual violence] is still a taboo topic. It is a silent topic and needs awareness. “But last week I had quite a few people who wanted to know about services we provide.” She expressed hope: “We hope we can normalise talking about this and assure them this shame is not theirs to carry.”