What We Should Be Doing to Support GBV Victims on Campus

The full interview with Mr. Michael Bicking, Head of Public Safety at Eastern College in Pennsylvania is NOW in the podcast section of the website AND on all major streaming services.

Please subscribe to the LIFE AFTER ABUSE PODcast so that you can hear the full interviews.

What is the most important thing we should be doing to help support victims and why?

“The type of support that you give a victim can have that can have a lasting impact on whether or not they ever are able to fully get past or accept what has happened. I think that the more caring we are, the more we provide assistance and our willingness to take care of our victims, will assist a victim in getting to the next step in their lives rather than being haunted. They may always have a certain amount of haunting from becoming a victim, but they're never going to get by it if we don't provide them with the caring environment that they deserve.”

If you are a victim or care for a victim (even as a bystander) take these important steps:

• Practice self care and get the psychological, emotional and medical support that you need.

• Find your title IX coordinator if you are on a college campus.

• Report the crime—Even if you don’t choose to name the perpetrator—so that you can get the services that can get you on the road to safety, security and wellness.

If you are a parent or concerned adult:

• Talk to boys and young men about their responsibilities as a contributing member of society. Discuss attitudes towards girls/women and your expectations for their behavior.

• Find out what sexual assault prevention programs are available at your college. Ask about their effectiveness.

• Read the annual safety report so you understand the environment that your student is entering into.

Check out the podcasts here.