The BRAVE Model

Your friends need you to be BRAVE.

Most young people tell a friend first.

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. If you want

If you need your own care, check out our Support page with resources like Justice for Children and Youth.

What is the BRAVE Model?

Poster titled 'Be BRAVE: Five simple steps to support a friend' with steps: Begin by listening, Respect confidentiality, Ask what support looks like, Validate them, Empathize, with descriptions for each. The poster has colorful background and includes logos: POSSIBILITIES SEEDS and HIGH SCHOOL TO, along with a credit for the model, Farrah Khan.

  • Listen. Follow their lead. Allow for silence and pauses.

  • Don’t share with friends, post on socials or gossip. They get to decide who to share with and how.

  • Ask what they need, be it rest, access to community supports, or a trusted adult.

  • Remind them they’re not alone, it’s not their fault and that you believe them.

  • 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’. 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:

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.

A young woman sitting on a bed in a colorful, decorated bedroom, looking at her phone. The room has a dark blue wall with framed artwork, a pink door with a gold ribbon, a paper lantern, a small table with a stack of books, and a chair with a laptop. The bed has red and white striped blankets and a multicolored pillow.
A mobile phone screen showing a messaging app with a chat from Jordan saying 'Heyy'. The phone is held by two hands, with one wearing a red plaid shirt. The background features a pink flower with a large green and white number 7 and some numbers 45 and 8 in the top corner.

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.

A person writing the word B.R.A.V.E. in a notebook outdoors with a pink sunset, cattails, and purple flowers in the background.
Learn more