START BY BELIEVING
The Global Campaign Changing The Way We Respond To Sexual Assault
Start By Believing
Start by Believing (SBB) is a global awareness campaign launched in Chicago in 2011 by Detective Joanne Archambault (retired San Diego Police Dept).
SBB is designed to improve responses to survivors of sexual
violence one disclosure at a time.
Start by Believing is more than just a few words.
It's not just a campaign.
It's a philosophical stance that "flips the script" on the negative messages victims have historically received from professionals and support people.
GCCASV publicly launched the Australian campaign at a community breakfast in October 2019 with huge community and professional support from police, health and welfare sectors.
A video and a number of resources were developed to further the campaign.
The basic message is always the same:
"When someone tells me they
were raped or sexually assaulted, I
Start by Believing."
The theory is that if you start by believing you can positively impact the survivor's immediate and ongoing healing journey.
