Supporting a Survivor as a Parent with Glen Canning
We cannot heal alone. Yet survivors often share feeling isolated, especially from family. It can be challenging to navigate family expectations. Fears and rigid ideas about justice. It can also be incredibly healing to have their unconditional support and love. To explore how parents and allies can show up for survivors, we speak with Glen Canning, an advocate for victims of sexual assault. He's also a survivor and the father of the late Rehtaeh Parsons. Rehtaeh was a powerhouse young woman who fought for a better world. She died by suicide on April 4th, 2013, following months of cyber abuse and victim blaming connected to the sexual violence she was subjected to.
In this episode, we explore ways parents can support their children when they disclose, the impacts of intergenerational trauma, check our own internal biases and discuss ways we can attend to our needs as child sexual abuse survivors.
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Although there are no descriptions of sexual violence in this podcast series, in this episode there is mention of suicide, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. This can bring big feelings and be hard to hear. Listen in a way that feels safer for you. You get to choose. Please access our resource page for support you are not alone.
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Read the transcript at this link. Read the transcript at this link.
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My Daughter Rehtaeh Parsons by Glen Canning
Allies in Healing - When the Person You Love Is a Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse by Laura Davis
Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk
“You're going to have a lot of emotions, but the very most important thing, I believe for a parent to do once a child has this close to them is make sure that your child knows that you love them no matter what. Make sure that you tell them that they are safe. Right now, they're safe with you. And let them know very much that whatever it is that happened, it wasn't their fault. Don't blame themselves. It wasn't their fault.”
-Glen Canning
About Glen Canning
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Glen Canning is an advocate for victims of sexual assault. He is the father of Rehtaeh Anne Parsons, a Nova Scotia teenager who four males sexually assaulted at a home near Halifax in November 2011. Rehtaeh ended her life on April 4th, 2013, following months of cyber abuse and victim blaming. Glen has spoken about Rehtaeh’s case internationally and across Canada. Along with his daughter’s mother, Leah Parsons, he has helped bring about changes to the Criminal Code of Canada. Glen and Leah, along with Amanda Todd’s mother, Carol, for his work, received the Rosalind Prober Award for Advocacy in 2013 and was named one of Huffington Post Canada’s Top 50 Contributors. Learn more about Glen Canning and his work at his website: https://www.glencanning.com.
