CHS Sexual Assault Dynamics Doc for Woodburn City Council Meeting (002) Provided by the Center for Hope & Safety to the Woodburn City Council October 24,2022.
What is Sexual Assault?
Any sexual contact with anyone who does not give informed and willing consent.
What is Consent?
Consent is a voluntary, enthusiastic and clear agreement between the participants
engaging in a sexual activity.
CzE) CLEAR- Consent is easily understood and unambiguous.
> ONGOING- Getting permission for every activity at every stage of any sexual
encounter.
VOLUNTARY- Consent should be given freely and willingly.
COHERENT- Every participant must be capable of granting their consent.
Source: Healthline .htt nsent#asking-for-consent
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Someone does not have consent when...
• The victim is sleeping, unconscious, or incapacitated by drugs or alcohol.
• They ignore the verbal and non-verbal cues to stop, like pulling away.
• They use a position of authority or trust to manipulate the victim, like a teacher or
employer or other profession.
• They keep going when the victim expresses that they have changed their mind.
• They use threats, intimidation, or manipulation to coerce them.
• The victim consented to one sexual act, but not another.
• The victim consented to contact that should not involve sexual activity.
• They pressure the victim or guilt them into saying yes.
Source: Healthline .htt nsent#asking-for-consent
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Trauma-Informed Considerations:
Every person's response to trauma will be unique to them and the traumatic moment they
experience. There are many factors that may impact how someone responds to trauma,
including past trauma history, relationship to the assailant(s), circumstances of the abuse, their
bodies response to the traumatic moment, and so much more. With all these complex factors
impacting our responses, it can be easy to question or judge those responses after a
traumatic event, forgetting that our brain and bodies do the best they can to keep us
safe in the moment.
The Main Responses to Trauma:
It is important to keep in mind that while these responses are the most common, some trauma
responses may not fit neatly into these categories, or people may experience a combination.
Fight: While fight often refers to actual physical or verbal aggression, it can encompass any
action you take to stand up to a threat or negate it. This is a direct confrontational response.
Flight: Flight is characterized by the desire to escape or deny pain, emotional turmoil, and other
distress. The flight may be literal, physically removing yourself from the situation or figurative,
like escaping into other activities. This is an avoidance response.
Freeze: The freeze response serves as a stalling tactic. You brain presses the "pause" button but
remains hypervigilant, waiting and watching carefully until it can determine whether fleeing or
fighting offers a better route to safety.
Some experts have pointed out this response actually takes place first, before you decide
to flee or fight. And when either action seems less than feasible? You might then "flop"
in response to your fright.
Flop: Also known as tonic immobility, involves going limp, dissociating, fainting, or passing out.
It can leave you completely numb, unable to move or call out for help. Plus, while it might seem
helpful to lack memories of abuse, those blank spaces can still cause emotional distress.
Fawn: Most common in survivors of childhood abuse and trauma, you escape harm, in short, by
learning to please the person threatening you and keep them happy. This behavior is learned
when compliance or giving up your boundaries helped to minimize abuse in the past.
Source: Healthline htt s.. www„heallthlliine„com heallth mentall-heallth fii ht-flit ht-freeze-
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Who can be a victim of Sexual Assault?
Survivors may be of any race, culture, gender identity, creed, disability, religious belief, sexual
orientation, or type of relationship.
Ways to Support Survivors and Victims:
• Be supportive, empathetic, and warm.
• Create a safe environment by validating and believe them.
• Avoid victim blaming statements and language.
• Understand that you have limited information and understanding of what survivors
have experienced.
• Understand how trauma impacts the brain and body to better understand them.
• Provide resources and community supports if they are open to them.
• Understand that disclosure feels vulnerable for survivors, and it is important to only
ask for details you need in order to support them.
• Seek supports for yourself as well.
Center for Hope & Safety
Salem, OR 97301
Website: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,® I n fet it • 24h r. Hotline: 503-399-77 22