It is not easy to talk about harm a person may have experienced. Safe Horizon has been helping people heal from harmful experiences for over 40 years. The Link Up With Us program revolves around the experiences and needs of the person who has been harmed. Link Up With Us advocates understand how structural racism can impact the lives of people of color. Their work is rooted in anti-racism and anti-oppressive practices.
How can “Link Up With Us”
help?
We help victims with the possible recovery of financial loss experienced due to the harmful event. Link Up With Us connects people to many other resources within Safe Horizon, or external assistance, if needed. Here are some of the ways Link Up With Us can provide support:
- No judgments
- Chat about is going on to better understand the person’s needs.
- Decide together on what those needs are and list them by order of importance.
- Form a plan together on what will make the person safer.
- Form a plan together to help deal with difficult thoughts and emotions.
- Link to other Safe Horizon programs for ongoing support.
- Information about and referrals to assistance outside of Safe Horizon.
Mark Bamba, 22, Safe Horizon Client
Young men of color are among the most vulnerable to crime and violence, and yet they are starkly underrepresented in the victim services field. While nationally less than half of violent crime is reported to the police, and only 10% of victimized persons sought help from victim services providers in 2016, male victims of crime and violence were underserved even within this context, with only a small fraction accessing services. Age is another important factor: just over 35% of persons aged 18-24 reported violence to the police, compared to nearly half of persons ages 35-49.
What is the impact of harm?
Those who experience abuse, violence, or harm may experience psychological trauma as a result. Psychological trauma is the unique experience of an event or an environment, in which the individual experiences a threat to life, body, or mental health and their ability to control their emotions. Examples of traumatic events could include:
- community violence
- labor and sex trafficking
- domestic violence
- financial abuse
- intimate partner violence
- sexual assault
- hate crimes
- school violence or bullying
That said, it’s important to recognize that the experience of trauma is unique to each person. What is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another. Someone who has been harmed may become hypervigilant – constantly looking over their shoulders, on the alert for danger in the form of people, places or things. They may question their core beliefs about basic needs, such as doubting their safety, the safety of others, or doubting their ability to trust others. Young men or boys of color who have been harmed may exhibit mood changes. Adolescent boys and young adults who have experienced harm may find it difficult to identify their feelings; they may struggle to manage strong emotions and, instead, may respond with heightened anger, sadness, or fear. They may experience flashbacks – remembering aspects of the hurtful experience when they do not want to. Additionally, trauma reactions for adolescent boys of color will look somewhat different from the reactions of adult men of color.
What types of harm do boys and young men of color experience?
People may experience harm in different ways. Below is a list of harmful events that could impact young people.
Abdul Thompson, 28, Safe Horizon Client