April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).

Though this may sound like an uphill battle, one of the most impactful ways to end rape culture is by supporting survivors. Volunteering with sexual assault organizations is one way you can make a difference.

I’ve worked in sexual assault nonprofits for a couple of years now and researched/volunteered in the years prior to that. One of the most common beliefs we share in this field is the idea that if just one person benefits from our services, we’ve succeeded. All it takes is one: one of you and one survivor. Here are three ways to volunteer and support sexual assault survivors and end rape culture!

Note: The term victim/survivor will be used in reference to any sexual assault survivor in the rest of this article. This is due to the common practice of wanting those who’ve experienced sexual assault to identify themselves. Whereas some identify as survivors, others identify as victims. Both identities are equally valued and deserve equal support. 

Volunteering as A Medical Accompaniment

A medical accompaniment volunteer advocate is a person available to provide educated emotional support as needed during the sexual assault examination process. Typically, medical accompaniments are the most intense volunteer experiences. This is due to both time commitment and the nature of the role itself.

(Because this type of volunteer work does involve hours of training, I am not able to divulge every piece of information you should know.) Yet, I want to list a few important tidbits you may want to know before signing up for a training at your local agency:

Complete Training

• Medical accompaniment volunteer advocates are usually expected to complete 20-60 hours of lecture-type training with the exact coursework requirements dependent on the organization

Field training is not always required, though organizations often encourage new volunteers to shadow staff advocates during their first shift or so. Shifts are often six to sometimes twelve hours long, again depending on the specific organization you intend on volunteering with. Medical accompaniment volunteer shifts are usually a minimum of six hours because the sexual assault examination process can be a lengthy one.

In addition, it’s usually better for the victim/survivor to have one support person there during the entire process, instead of their advocates switching partly through the process due to a shift change. However, most agencies know that things may happen, and protocols are often put into place for these scenarios. 

Advocating Can Be taxing

• Being a volunteer medical accompaniment advocate can be emotionally taxing

As an advocate, you may hear stories that are uncomfortable, disheartening, and sometimes, soul crushing. That is the nature of any sexual assault advocacy work, in all honesty. However, when you are an advocate, it’s very important that you maintain somewhat of a poker face. Yes, please show that you care, but do so in a calm manner. You never, ever want to heighten a victim’s/survivor’s emotions.

Yet, at the same time, if you ever feel as if you are becoming desensitized and/or overwhelmed, it may be time to take a break. Self-care should be the number one concern for social workers. This is not out of selfishness, but self-preservation. You must support and care for yourself first in order to then genuinely and without harm be an advocate for another. 

Survivors Can Volunteer

• Sexual assault victims/survivors are able to volunteer

In fact, in my time as a medical accompaniment volunteer trainer, the majority of volunteer applicants were personally impacted by sexual assault in some way. Agencies have varying policies on this. Usually, this policy states that victims/survivors can volunteer as long as the assault was more than 2-3 years ago and the trainer believes they are equipped to be a support person.

These policies can be difficult for volunteer applicants to process. The applicant may feel as if they are ready to make a difference, despite their experiences. However, as mentioned, self-care is imperative in this line of volunteering. Organizations and volunteer coordinators often live by the phrase, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” The last thing anyone wants is for you to be triggered when you’re simply trying to help another survivor. 

You Will Need Reliable Transportation

• You’ll almost always need a reliable form of transportation to be a medical accompaniment volunteer advocate

Although many organizations have implemented telehealth, the majority of organizations still require that both volunteers and staff be available to respond in person in a timely manner. 

Provide Support When Needed

• In advocacy, your main role is to provide as much or as little support as the victim/survivor wants and needs

This means that you may not say more than a few sentences throughout the entire night and the victim/survivor may say even less. I have had many accompaniments that were very silent. One of the things we reiterated time and time again to staff and volunteers is that, in this line of work, it’s vital that you grow comfortable with silence. Never expect the victim/survivor to entertain you and never ask the survivor to tell you what happened. They will open up when they’re ready and/or if they even want to. 

Volunteer to Work on Crisis Lines

Volunteering with sexual assault hotlines is a very popular form of service work. You can make just as much of an impact volunteering on hotlines as you do as a medical accompaniment volunteer. In fact, crisis lines and medical accompaniments are more similar than different. However, their differences can be stark.

Training Can Vary

• The training for crisis line volunteer work varies greatly

These types of volunteer training last anywhere from 10-60 hours. Just as with medical accompaniment training, this huge time difference depends on the exact agency. The shorter time frame of training typically does not include much (if any) information on what the sexual assault examination process entails or how to be an advocate, whereas the longer time frame of training does.

Some agencies require that both crisis line volunteers and medical accompaniment volunteers receive the same lengthy training. This is often because the crisis line volunteer may be asked questions about what the sexual assault examination process looks like and having that training under their belt makes answering the questions a lot easier and more informative for the caller.

Crisis Volunteering Can Be Taxing, Too

• Crisis line volunteer work can be just as emotionally taxing

In fact, my experience (and those that I’ve heard from) has been that you are more likely to hear detailed stories while volunteering on a crisis line, compared to being in-person emotional support. This could be due to the inherent differences in the volunteer work.

Whereas it’s imperative to grow comfortable with silence as a medical accompaniment advocate, be prepared for sometimes an hour of conversation or listening, as a crisis line volunteer. Some calls are short, and the callers only have a question or two. Some calls are lengthy, and the caller wants to tell you, the volunteer, their life story, or what happened to them in detail.

Agencies typically have policies in place for super long calls, but I like to tell volunteers the duration of the call is ultimately up to you.

You Can Work From A Private Location

• Most crisis line shifts can take place anywhere that is private, like in your home or your car

You want to be sure that no one else is listening, due to the confidentiality requirements of all sexual assault volunteer work. So while you likely won’t need reliable transportation, you will need reliable phone service and privacy to take a possibly extended phone call. 

Lobbying

Whether you’re fond of politics or not, it’s hard to doubt the impact that politics have on sexual assault. As such, political advocacy is an essential volunteer role anyone can take up. There is typically no training involved in this type of volunteer work. However, it’s often expected that you’re either knowledgeable (or ready to learn) about legislation, who’s currently in office, etc.

Most sexual assault agencies have a lobbying email list that you can easily get signed up for. In most cases, this email list includes frequent updates on sexual assault-related politics, including who to call and voice your concerns to or dates to attend Capitol Hill sessions.

Finding Organizations To Volunteer With

The best way to find organizations to volunteer with is by visiting your local database or through Google searches. There are national organizations, such as RAINN; however, these national organizations often have tricky training processes that may not be feasible for everyone.

For example, while RAINN is a national organization and the largest sexual assault crisis line in America, volunteers can only be trained in Washington, D.C. If you have the means, absolutely travel to D.C. for the training! Yet, most people may find it easier to visit the website or call up their local sexual assault center and inquire about specific volunteer opportunities. 

• To learn more about RAINN’s volunteer opportunities and see if they’re right for you, please visit this link.

• To learn about your local human trafficking support/prevention organizations and their volunteer opportunities, please refer to this national directory.

There are multiple ways to volunteer in support of victims/survivors, as well as sexual assault prevention. Arguably the programs that need volunteers most are the medical accompaniment, crisis hotlines, and political advocacy programs at each organization.

These programs benefit tremendously from the support of the community. Less frequent volunteer opportunities in this field include activities like event set-up and social media advocacy. Your local sexual assault organization should have these specific opportunities listed online. However, phone calls are often welcomed, as well. 

If you’re considering pursing this type of volunteering, please remember that for some people the benefits are just as strong as the drawbacks. This type of volunteering is undoubtedly emotionally fulfilling for most. However, the time commitments and emotionally intense nature of medical accompaniment advocacy, crisis hotline volunteering, and even lobbying is not for everyone. That’s okay.

If any of this seems too much for you yet you’d still like to support, donations or sharing social media posts from local or national organizations is an easy way to spread awareness and show support in a way the best suits you!