The BRAVE Model
Your friends need you to be BRAVE.
Most young people tell a friend first. Are you ready to listen?
When someone shares with you that they have been subjected to sexual harassment or assault, it’s normal to be unsure of how to respond. It can be hard to know what to say or how to show up when you’re being trusted with something so personal and vulnerable. That’s why The BRAVE Model© was created. On this page, we’ll show you the five simple steps to support a friend.
You also need to care for yourself. Check out our Support page for resources like Justice for Children and Youth and Kids Help Phone.
What is the BRAVE Model?
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Listen. Follow their lead. Allow for silence and pauses.
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Don’t share with friends, post on socials or gossip. They get to decide who to share with and how.
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Ask what they need, be it rest, access to community supports, or a trusted adult.
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Remind them they’re not alone, it’s not their fault and that you believe them.
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Have compassion for what they’re sharing and how they’re feeling. Care for yourself, so you can keep showing up.
The BRAVE Model describes a way to show up for a friend or peer who tells you they have been subjected to sexual harassment or sexual assault. This is called a ‘disclosure’ or ‘disclosing’. Note: You are not expected to be a counsellor; you are their friend.
BRAVE is a guide with each letter of the word BRAVE representing a simple step you can take to respond to a friend’s disclosure with care:
Bring the BRAVE keynote to your school board, school or conference
We are offering free keynotes and professional development on consent and responding to disclosures, available to students, educators, and administrators. Open to publicly funded school boards and schools in Ontario, now booking for October and November 2026 and February and March 2027.
Workshops, e-learning and curriculum-integrated supports are available through board partnerships, with evaluation tools built to measure impact in your schools. In-person programming is prioritized for northern, rural and remote communities.
A new BRAVE e-learning is coming in October 2026
Possibility Seeds has received funding from the Ontario government to build an interactive learning resource for youth and educators about supporting a peer when they disclose sexual harassment or assault. Built with and for Ontario youth, it gives you the information and skills to be there for a friend.
The Be BRAVE learning resource is free, self-paced, and designed with and for young people. You'll work through real scenarios, build your skills and leave knowing exactly how to show up for a friend when they share that they have been subjected to sexual harassment or assault. Including:
What to say (and what not to say) when a friend discloses
How to support someone without taking over their story
How to look after yourself while showing up for others
When was the BRAVE model created?
The BRAVE Model© was created in 1998 by educator, survivor and advocate Farrah Khan. It started as part of a zine she created for concerts and community events about sexual assault.
It grew into something bigger. Today, it’s a trauma-informed framework used across Canada with campus communities, youth programs, unions, and government agencies.
