Give and Get Support

You are not alone

We know that you care deeply about ending sexual assault and harassment. You or someone you know may also be someone who has been subjected to harm. That is why we have created a list of support resources to help you care for yourself or a friend you are helping.

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Self Care

Important note: High School Too does not provide therapy or crisis support.

If you or someone else is experiencing a life-threatening emergency call 9-1-1.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the national Suicide Crisis line at 9-8-8.

Get support

    • KidsHelpPhone: 24/7 support by chat, text or call for any problem, big or small including access to a trained volunteer crisis responder. If you identify as Indigenous, you can ask to be connected with a First Nations, Inuk or Métis crisis responder (if one’s available).  

    • LGBT YouthLine: Anonymous peer support by chat, text or email for 2LGBTQA youth, operating Sunday - Friday 4:00PM - 9:30PM. 

    • Trans Lifeline: 24/7 confidential hotline staffed by transgender people for transgender people.

    • Talk4Healing: 24/7 confidential support available by chat, text or phone for Indigenous peoples. 

    • Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 24/7 confidential support available by chat or call for victims and survivors of human trafficking.

    • Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres: Confidential and free counselling to survivors of recent and historical sexual assault throughout Ontario. Contact a centre to ask about individual or group counselling. Also provide 24-hour, confidential crisis line to reach a counsellor by phone.

    • You may want to seek medical attention if you have been recently assaulted. You can go to free services to be tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy and document any of the harm your body was subjected to.

    • You are not obligated to report to the police if you receive medical attention. It is important to understand that if you are under 16, and the healthcare provider suspects that you are at risk for ongoing harm, they have a duty to report to the local child protection agency.

    Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centres

    In Ontario, you can undergo a forensic medical examination by a specially trained nurse through the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Program at the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre located in a hospital emergency room, ideally within 72 hours.

    • This examination helps to collect and preserve evidence in case you choose to report the police or a professional body.

    • Some portions of the examination may be considered for collection up to 7-12 days post-assault depending on the circumstances and type of assault.

    • If you are unsure about reporting to the police, but would like to preserve the evidence while you make a decision, you can specify this when you meet with the SANE.

    • Prior to the exam, you should do your best to refrain from changing your clothing, using the toilet, showering, eating, or brushing your teeth.

    Locate a hospital near you where the SANE program is available.

    If a SANE does not assess youth under 16, they will refer you to the closest clinic that works with children and youth.

Give support

How to support a friend or a peer

The BRAVE Model© is a peer support model that outlines five simple steps to support a friend or family member if they disclose to you that they have been impacted by sexual violence. Being brave isn’t a one-time act. It’s a practice: a way we choose to show up for each other, out loud and on purpose.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to be BRAVE.

How to support a young person as an adult ally

The CARE Model© is a support model that outlines four simple steps for adults in a position of trust or professional authority to support a teenager who discloses that they have been affected by sexual harassment or assault. CARE isn’t about having the perfect response or fixing what happened. It’s about showing up with empathy, centring the young person’s voice, and creating space for them to guide what support looks like, as much as possible, within your responsibilities.

You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to CARE.

Perfer to learn in other ways? We got you.

Watch the B.R.A.V.E video

Watch our BRAVE Model©:Simples Steps to Support a Survivor video for a more in-depth explanation.

or listen to the Healing Comes in Waves podcast about how parents can support survivors.

Healing Comes in Waves podcast, "Supporting a Survivor as a Parent," which features an in-depth interview with advocate Glen Canning on how parents can support their teens when they disclose and the impacts of intergenerational trauma.