Reporting on sexual violence incidents can be challenging. Sexual harassment, assault, and abuse are complex topics. As a journalist reporting these issues, be aware that they can differ from other crime-related stories. Sexual harassment, abuse, and assault are public health issues with plenty of story angles, and not all of them include interviewing survivors. Regardless of the angle, statistics and background information can add context to stories.
When covering crimes such as sexual assault, journalists commonly focus only on the people and circumstances directly involved. This approach misses the broader social forces and institutions that impact sexual assault cases. For example, instead of focusing only on the testimony of a victim and a person who perpetrated sexual assault on a college campus, telling the whole story involves also looking at the college’s sexual assault policies and the administration’s response to this and other cases of sexual assault. It can be helpful to think of these different angles as a “portrait frame” that focuses on one or two people and a “landscape frame” focusing on institutions and other social influences.
Privacy concerns
Media outlets should develop and update their privacy policies. According to the AP Stylebook Online (2024), reporters should not identify people who have experienced sexual assault unless the survivor has agreed to be publicly identified. This includes sharing the survivor’s name and photo. Anyone under 18 who is a survivor of sexual assault or abuse should never be identified.
Additionally, take care not to accidentally reveal a survivor’s identity through information such as physical descriptions, addresses, names of family, or other specific details about the case.
The effects of trauma
Survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment have experienced trauma. This type of severe trauma can have a profound impact on lifelong health and well-being. Each person reacts differently to trauma and may require different approaches to addressing their trauma. Many survivors either never talk about what happened to them or wait months or years to speak about it. On the other hand, some survivors disclose immediately. There is no right or wrong way to respond; each individual's unique path should be respected. The effects of sexual violence and trauma also impact their loved ones, communities, institutions, workplaces, and schools.
People working closely to this topic can also experience secondary trauma, sometimes called vicarious trauma. Secondary trauma can have similar symptoms to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anyone can experience secondary trauma, including first responders, people who work with victims, a victim’s friends and family members, and journalists reporting on the issue. Having a history of personal trauma may increase someone’s risk of experiencing secondary trauma. It’s normal for distressing or traumatic content to be challenging to handle at times, and having access to a support system and coping mechanisms can help.
The following resources provide some tips and tools for dealing with secondary trauma:
- How journalists can take care of themselves while covering trauma
- How Workplaces Can Be Better Equipped to Deal with Vicarious Trauma
- Navigating Vicarious Trauma
Potential triggers
Certain situations, photos, physical sensations, words, sounds, and smells can trigger the memories of sexual assault survivors. These triggers can be re-traumatizing. For example, a survivor may smell a scent that cues a memory of their assault. Although they may be far removed from the time and location of the event, the intense memories and emotions associated with it can invade the present. Be mindful not to trigger victims of sexual violence intentionally. It is not always possible to predict what memories may be difficult for a survivor to revisit, so give them the option throughout the interview to stop at any point or take breaks as needed.
Initial conversations
While survivors may approach you about telling their stories, you may also seek survivors to comment on a specific case or provide context to another case. There are several national sources for connecting with survivors who are open to speaking with the media, including:
- RAINN’s Speakers Bureau
- The Voices and Faces Project
Before you begin reporting, talk with victim advocates and staff at local rape crisis centers and state anti-sexual violence coalitions to gain insight. Many trained sexual assault advocates want to speak with reporters because they see these stories covered from the crime angle and know this does not fully represent the issue. Be proactive and cultivate relationships with experts. Actively maintain these relationships for insight and story ideas throughout the year. Talking routinely with advocates and service providers could reveal new story angles worth exploring. They may also be able to connect you with survivors in their network who are interested in sharing their stories.
You can find your local rape crisis center online at raliance.org/rape-crisis-centers
Some survivors might want to speak with a reporter, while others may not. If a survivor wants to tell their story, allow them to do so in their own way, in their own words, and in their own time.
Ask how the survivor would like to be identified. A survivor may prefer the term “victim” or “survivor.” Sometimes people want you to use their full name in a story. Talk with survivors about the potential reach of your coverage and how it will be shared so they can make an informed decision about how they would like you to identify them.
It takes time for survivors to share their stories. Have multiple conversations with survivors and get to know them. Listen and build a rapport. Let the survivor share the amount of information they are comfortable sharing.
The interview process
Let the survivor retain control by allowing them to determine the interview time, location, where they sit, and other steps of the process. Be flexible if they change their minds. Allow enough time so that the survivor is not rushed. Be transparent and be prepared to answer questions about when the interview will air or when the story will be published, whether photos or video will be taken, and how long the coverage will last.
During the interview, you can support survivors by having a therapist or a trained sexual assault advocate present. Help survivors feel more comfortable by explaining the interview process and giving them permission to check in if they need a break. Avoid physical touch and focus on offering verbal support and consolation. If the survivor wants to do an on-camera interview, introduce them to the staff assisting with the recording. Allow the survivor time to meet and get comfortable with everyone involved. Avoid physical contact when setting up equipment; it is better to hand the survivor the microphone or earpiece and explain how to use it.
As you report, check in with survivors to update them about changes and inform them when the interview will be released. After the interview is published, follow up with them to see how they’re doing since the media coverage. Have the contact information for local mental health resources on hand to refer them to if they’re having a difficult time post-publication.
Questions & language choices
While providing context for an incident is important, be aware that how you describe a setting or a person’s clothing can unintentionally assign guilt to the victim. Avoid questioning “why,” because doing so may suggest that the victim somehow provoked the incident. Because victims of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment are never to blame for what happened to them, it is better to ask open-ended, nonjudgmental questions that allow survivors to share their stories.
Be aware of how trauma might manifest during an interview. For example, a survivor might find it challenging to recall the exact order of events due to how trauma impacts memory, so avoid asking questions related to a strict timeline. Instead, ask what they thought about or how they felt in the aftermath of an assault while still being mindful of how much they are willing to share.
Often in news stories, the words are too vague or can imply things that didn’t happen. A victim of sexual assault doesn’t “have sex” or “perform oral sex.” A victim doesn’t “kiss” a perpetrator. These phrases suggest that the victim willingly participated. Instead, be direct and precisely describe what a victim was forced to do.
Be mindful when describing people who sexually abuse. Labeling them as “monsters” sets them apart from the rest of society, implying an “us versus them” dynamic. Such labels can hinder people from reporting suspicions about someone they know because it challenges their belief that a “good person” wouldn’t do bad things. When your reporting makes it clear that people we know and trust can harm others, readers can better support survivors and intervene when they see inappropriate or unsafe behavior.
References
Associated Press. (2024). AP stylebook online. Associated Press.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center, & Berkeley Media Studies Group. (2018). Moving toward prevention: A guide for reframing sexual violence. https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications/2018-10/Movingtowardprevention_FINAL508.pdf