SAMSN support line expands for male survivors of sexual abuse
SAMSN's popular Peer Support Line (PSL) is now available for male CSA survivors in South Australia and Tasmania.
The specialist telephone support service provides the opportunity for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to talk to someone with lived experience who can identify with the issues they face.
SAMSN – Survivors & Mates Support Network – emphasise that this is not a helpline but a peer support service.
Men who have joined SAMSN's eight-week support groups say finding connection through peer support is powerful. “This is important for many men who may be seeking to speak with other survivors who ‘get it’,” says SAMSN. “While our histories of abuse may be different, all SAMSN’s peer support workers have had first-hand experience of SAMSN’s support services and what it takes to grow stronger than your past.
“Sharing with another survivor already on their path toward recovery and growth can help provide hope and healing.”
The free and anonymous Peer Support Line is manned by male survivors of sexual abuse, who also share tips and techniques on SAMSN’s Facebook page that help them manage the impacts of CSA.
SAMSN is also improving its services to make them more accessible for people with a disability.
Established in 2011, SAMSN has offered its services to male survivors residing in NSW, so the news that the Peer Support Line is available is South Australia and Tasmania is a welcome expansion of this important service.
An estimated 1 in 6 Australian men will experience sexual abuse, usually as children or adolescents. Evidence shows that males are less likely than females to tell someone what happened and seek help.