1.4.1 Teamwork

To meet survivors’ needs, advocates need to work with others, from medical professionals to law enforcement officers.

More than simply supporting the survivor, your effectiveness is measured by how well you cooperate with the wider team.

This is especially challenging in contexts where sexual assault is not treated as a crime or with professionals who blame the survivor for the sexual assault.

Especially where the medical response to sexual assault survivors is insensitive or where first responders are not educated about how to provide services to sexual assault survivors, having an advocate accompanying the survivor can make their care-seeking experiences less traumatic.