Sexual Assault
Sexual assault can take many forms, for example: drug assisted sexual assault, groping, verbal comments, taking intimate images without consent, penetration, and attempted assault. When supporting survivors of sexual assault (including drink spiking), the priority is to increase their sense of trust, control, safety and self-esteem, which can be significantly undermined by these experiences.
When appropriate, and only if doing so does not put the person receiving care at risk of further harm, the event organiser should be made aware of the incident.
Providing Support
If possible, ensure that the person receiving the disclosure and supporting the survivor is an experienced coordinator, senior volunteer or someone with specialist training. This could involve a consent team or sexual harm reduction services if they are present at the event. It is also helpful for care space coordinators to contact their local survivor agency prior to the event starting for contact details, information on what support services are available and how they can be accessed.
Be aware that under New Zealand law, the first person to receive a disclosure of sexual harm can be called upon in court as a witness (“first disclosure witness”). Keep this in mind as you develop your disclosures of sexual harm policy. In general, it is best to advise staff not to ask questions beyond “are you now safe”?
Increasing A Survivor’s Sense of Trust
Give space to the survivor to share what, and how, they want by using active listening without interrupting. Police encourage responding to basic ‘I have’ statements (e.g. ‘I have been assaulted’) with ‘would you like to make an official report’. If the person says ‘yes’ then immediately escalate the situation through the appropriate channels. Do not discourage the person from talking if they feel they need to, but as much as possible, avoid asking questions about what happened unless comfortable with becoming a first disclosure witness.
Stay as calm as possible, breathe and be present with the survivor. It is important to manage your own emotions and remain calm and kind to help promote their sense of trust and safety.
Believe people’s stories without suspicion, and never ask ‘why’ questions such as “why were you drinking?” or “why didn’t you just say no?”.
Use affirming statements such as “it’s not your fault”, “I believe you” and “I’m so sorry this happened to you”.
Demonstrate a willingness to work together to access the right support and services.
Consider that the person may need to make a disclosure to police, and that this can be emotionally difficult. Don’t press them for details and try to limit how much they need to repeat their story to care space staff. Do not record any details of their situation without their consent and with the understanding that you may be called upon later in court.
Increasing A Survivor’s Sense of Control
Support people to make their own decisions on what to do and don’t pressure them towards a particular action or choice. They didn’t have control during the experience of violence, so they need to have control over the healing and follow-up process.
Consider the risk of harm for others at the event. If there is a serious and imminent risk of harm for others at the event, action needs to be taken to mitigate that risk. Talk with the person about how you can maintain their confidentiality and help the event mitigate the risk of harm to others. In health settings, when there is a serious and imminent risk of harm for a person or others there needs to be a discussion about sharing some information with others who can reduce that risk. In cases of family violence, consider if escalating the report could put the person at risk of further harm at home.
Provide choice wherever possible, even with little things such as whether they want a friend to be with them or whether they want a glass of water. It's also helpful to phrase questions so the person can decline something with the response "yes"- it's much easier for someone in distress to agree or answer yes than it is to say no, e.g. "would you prefer not having to repeat your story?" or "do you think our plan of action is missing something?"
Try to understand why someone is making the disclosure, such as for support, empathy, a space to vent or assistance in making a police report, and provide support for the needs that they have expressed.
It is common for survivors of sexual violence to be in an extended state of shock or dissociation. If they don't seem capable of making a decision, assure them that this is ok, find them a safe space and provide blankets, warm drinks, etc until they are.
If they'd like to return to their own space, offer an escort and regular check-ins. Make sure they have a support person they trust, and avoid leaving the person alone.
Respect confidentiality and the person’s privacy. When personally debriefing with a trusted source of support, focus on feelings about the information shared, rather than the details of the survivor’s story or identity. However, there may be limits to confidentiality and privacy if the person is under 18, or there is serious risk of harm to others at the event.
Many people don't come forward during an event at all. There should be information on how to contact the event organisers or a specific support service attached to the event information, or able to be shared by promoters/organisers if they are contacted.
Increasing A Survivor’s Sense of Safety
If a survivor requires medical attention, ensure they receive this as soon as possible and do not leave them alone.
Ensure that the survivor is kept physically safe. If there is a risk of further violence, get a description of the person who did the harm and contact security and the police with the consent of the survivor.
It is important to determine whether a person feels safe by asking questions such as “are you safe now?” or “do you feel unsafe?”, even if the abuse is of a historical nature.
Ensure that a person feels heard and that their feelings and concerns are taken seriously.
If they have friends at the event, ask the survivor if they would like their support or other involvement. If a staff member has developed a good rapport with the person then it is reasonable for the staff member to ask if the person would like them to continue being present during any further steps.
Ensure that the survivor is not left alone with a single staff member unless they request it and the staff member is comfortable. They only need to communicate with one person, so it will likely be necessary for other staff to hang back and simply keep an eye out to maintain the survivor’s privacy.
Gently let the person know that there are survivor agencies that can provide support and offer their contact details, but only once they’re out of shock and are calm. Similarly, ensure that they know that there is the possibility of making a report to the police if they want. Be conscious that the accuracy and legal use of forensic medical examinations and toxicology reports are highly time sensitive.
Encourage the person to leave any physical evidence they may have with care space staff who can be responsible for ensuring it gets to Police. It is important to let them know that Police will not take any action with regards to the evidence without the person’s consent, this merely gives them the opportunity to make an official complaint later if they so choose. Ensure staff know to place evidence in paper bags as other material can degrade the quality of the evidence (see ‘Reporting Sexual Assault to the Police’).
Increasing A Survivor’s Sense of Self-esteem
Normalise the person’s feelings and experience by letting them know that their feelings are understandable, that they deserve support, that they are brave for speaking up and that everyone has a right to be safe (including at the event).
Thank them for sharing with you.
Additional Care for Survivors of Drink Spiking
As above, the underpinning principles guiding responses to these situations should be care and safety, and any response needs to be survivor led wherever possible.
If there is an identifiable offender, contact security and / or police immediately. Otherwise, a report should be filed via the police 105 non-emergency number to help police understand the prevalence of these incidents and to inform preventative action. Keep in mind that in most situations of drink spiking, it is extremely difficult to identify the person who did the harm. Make sure this is done in a calm manner and with the person's knowledge.
If there is a deterioration in the person’s wellbeing or there are serious concerns about their physical health, seek immediate medical attention. Put the person in the stable side (recovery) position if they lose consciousness, and do not leave them alone until help arrives.
Ask about and record the person’s symptoms, other drugs taken, prescribed medication, and contact details. If they’re with someone, ask that person for the same information as well as what they’ve noticed. Let them know this information is only so that you can take better care of them, and that it will not be passed along to Police or anyone else to use in a punitive manner.
If the person wants to leave the care space, check that they have ongoing support, e.g. someone trustworthy who can monitor their symptoms and keep them safe (keeping in mind that it is sometimes the people/friends a person is with who could have done the spiking). If the survivor is willing, get their contact details (and camping location if at a multi-day event) for follow-up.
Notify event organisers, bar staff, medics, consent teams and security that drink spiking has occurred so they can collaboratively monitor people’s behaviour.
Common Symptoms of Drink Spiking
Sometimes people may appear unusually drunk or more drunk than normal after drinking the same amount, and symptoms can come on very suddenly. They can also vary depending on the type and quantity of drugs used, the size and weight of the person spiked, and their preexisting level of intoxication.
Dizziness or feeling faint
Difficulty breathing
Difficulty walking
Nausea or vomiting
Hallucinations
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Tiredness
Sudden temperature change
Speech difficulties and slurring
Muscle spasms
Visual problems, for example blurred vision
Confusion – especially the next day or after waking up
Paranoia
A severe hangover when they did not drink alcohol
Loss of memory – especially about things that have happened recently
Loss of consciousness
People Who Commit Sexual Assault
People may make a disclosure about their own behaviour as someone who has, or is thinking about, sexually assaulting someone, either at the event or historically.
Before an event, identify which staff are willing and able to respond to these situations.
It is important to respond calmly, commend the person for coming forward and affirm their decision to address the problem.
Without minimising the seriousness of the harm, try to focus on the behaviour as being ‘bad’, rather than them being a ‘bad’ person.
Avoid using the terms ‘perpetrator’, ‘predator’, ‘offender’ etc, which reinforce ‘bad person’ thinking. Instead, use ‘person who has done harm’. People may refer to themselves and others using stigmatising language or labels, which is their choice.
Refer them to an appropriate support service, such as those aimed at preventing sexual harm or some survivor agencies (see resources below). Security or police involvement may be necessary depending on the nature of the disclosure or if there is a high risk of further harm (especially at the event).
Develop a safety plan with the person to ensure others remain safe at the event. This could be as simple as asking the person to come back to the care space if they find themselves struggling with their thoughts again, strongly encouraging the person to remain sober for the event, and connecting the person to a friend they trust who can stay with them for the duration of the event.
Review whether it is appropriate for the person who did the harm to remain at the event, attend future occurrences of the event, or attend similar events.
Resources
Rape Prevention Education - Whakatu Mauri Trust: Your Local Support Services
NZ Police: Understanding Sexual Assault and Consent