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Prepare

Key Principle: Take time to prepare before sharing your story

It is an important and personal decision for someone to decide to share their story. There are some key things to prepare and questions to ask before deciding if this is the right path for you. Are you ready to go to the media? What is your motivation or desired outcome? Do you have the right support?

Take the time you need before you decide. It is a brave and profoundly life changing thing to go the media, and the decision should not be taken lightly. 

Talk to people you trust and who support you. Friends, family or professional advocates can help you talk through your decision. 

Here are some questions you can ask before deciding if this is the right path for you: 

  • Why do you want to talk to the media? What do you hope to achieve?
  • Are you ready to go to the media?
  • What personal and professional supports do you have in place?
  • Do you feel adequately supported to engage with the media?
  • Who else will be impacted?
  • Are you comfortable with your family and friends, and others, reading your story?
  • Are there any legal problems with telling your story? (see ‘Legal Considerations and Support’).

I often offer to send people similar stories I’ve done if they would like to read it and feel comfortable doing so. 

(Media)

I would say going to the media is life changing around something like this. Because every friend you have, … your parents, it really is life changing. It really is a very, very profound decision for any person to make. And I would hope the media understand that. 

(Victim and survivor)

If you decide to share your story, you may wish to consider the following: 

  • Think carefully about how you want to tell your story and where you want to tell it.
  • It’s a good idea to do some research before making up your mind about which media outlet you want to go to. Research the media outlet and the journalist: Has the journalist written similar stories with sensitivity? Are they a safe journalist to share your story with?

Anonymity is always an option for you if you decide to tell your story.

There are so many journalists out there, who do you even go to or which publisher or newspapers or TV essentially are more receptive, more ethical … You should ask yourself, look for the stories they’ve written. 

(Victim and survivor)

If a journalist has approached you for a story, you may wish to ask

  • Why are they doing this story?
  • Why do they want to talk to you?
  • Who else will they be talking to?
  • What is the angle of their story, and where do you fit into that?
  • (If it is for TV or radio) Will the interview be live or prerecorded?
  • How will the story be published (newspaper, online or on TV or radio)?
  • Do they know when the story will be published or aired?

What is trauma?

Trauma is the psychological, physical, social, emotional, cultural and/or spiritual harm caused by exposure to an event, or series of events that are emotionally disturbing or life-threatening.
It impacts an individual’s sense of self, safety, social connection and ways of coping. For this purpose, ‘trauma’ can be defined both in terms of an event/s causing harm, and the harm that exposure to that event/s causes. Paton, A., et al. (2023). Minimum Practice Standards: Specialist and Community Support Services Responding to Child Sexual Abuse. Canberra: National Office for Child Safety.

What is trauma-informed practice?

Trauma-informed practice is framed within several core principles: safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment and respect for diversity. Based on the foundational principle of ‘Do No Harm’,
it is a practice that everyone can adopt, rather than a form of ‘treatment’.

Putting these principles into action for journalists, trauma-informed practice:

  • Understands how stress and trauma can affect the brain and the body, and that ‘symptoms’ can be a way of coping.
  • Considers what has happened to the person (not what is ‘wrong’ with the person).
  • Is sensitive to the victim and survivor's experience when conducting the reporting process.
  • Collaborates with the victim and survivor as an expert in their own experience.

Based on Blue Knot Foundation: Becoming Trauma Informed – Services.

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For victims and survivors

If you or a child are in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

Information on reporting child safety concerns can be found on our Make a report page.

Get support

The information on this website may bring up strong feelings and questions for many people. There are many services available to assist you. A detailed list of support services is available on our Get support page.

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