TO THE EDITOR:
We commend The Daily Tar Heel for featuring a story about male survivors of sexual assault on the front page of Monday’s paper.
While the article highlights weaknesses in our university’s response to male survivors of sexual assault, the exposure of this problem shows that our campus community is taking steps to end sexual violence and support all survivors.
Survivors of sexual violence face shame and stigma, and male survivors can experience this to a greater extent because of our society’s expectations of men.
We are confident that Counseling and Psychological Services can provide a safe space for all survivors to get the help they need. We hope that CAPS will address the individual needs of male survivors and include them in male or co-ed support groups.
The number of male survivors seeking support may be small, but providing the opportunity for all people to identify with other survivors in their own community is worth taking an extra step.
Project Dinah, an interpersonal and sexual violence prevention organization, welcomes all survivors and allies, regardless of gender identity or personal experience with sexual violence.
We encourage anyone who is interested to attend our meetings on Mondays at 7 p.m. in Dey Hall.
We also invite survivors, secondary survivors, or allies to share their experiences on our anonymous blog, speakoutunc.blogspot.com.
