Foundations and Guiding Principles

Safety planning must be grounded in trauma-informed, survivor-centred, and developmentally appropriate practice. Staff should recognize that victims and survivors of online sexual violence often experience fear, shame, humiliation, hypervigilance, confusion, loss of control, and ongoing safety concerns associated with the circulation of sexual content online.

Key guiding principles include:

• Prioritizing physical, emotional, psychological, and online safety
• Promoting dignity, respect, privacy, and confidentiality
• Minimizing re-traumatization during intervention and support
• Supporting survivor autonomy, voice, and choice
• Recognizing the ongoing and evolving nature of online victimization
• Using collaborative, strengths-based engagement approaches
• Supporting connection to safe adults, systems, and community resources
• Providing practical and concrete next steps to increase safety
• Understanding that risk levels may escalate or fluctuate over time
• Ensuring culturally responsive and inclusive responses

This framework also incorporates evidence-informed approaches reflected within C3P support services, including brief intervention strategies, motivational interviewing principles, and trauma-informed communication protocols.