The S:VOX email forums are for people who have experienced abuse of any sort: sexual, emotional, physical or spiritual, as a child or as an adult; and their friends and supporters. The forum is a place where people can connect, ‘meet’ others who have experienced abuse or are supporting survivors and support each other. Posts can be about about anything and everything…art, poetry, inspiration, events, ideas, moans, struggles with recovery, happy events…

In joining the the S:VOX email forums we ask you to agree with the following and abide by it:

1. Who can join: the Friends Forum is for anyone who supports the aims and work of S:VOX.
The Survivors Forum is for people who have .experienced any type of abuse, as a child or adult, sometimes known as ‘survivors’ of abuse. If you have been abused in any way, you are very welcome to join. If you are not an abuse survivor, we would ask you to respect our privacy, so that this can be a safe place for people to share openly.
The Greenbelt Forum has grown out of the community of people who have met at the Greenbelt Survivor groups since 2001. Greenbelt is a Christian arts festival and as such many group members are Christian (from various traditions) but the group does not exclude people who are not ‘Christian.’ The forum will provide a safe space to discuss faith and spirituality.
The Groups Forum is for facilitators of S:VOX affiliated self-help groups.
We plan to add a Supporters Forum very soon. This will be for family, partners, friends and anyone working with or supporting survivors.

2. Confidentiality. If you discuss ‘content’ of forum topics with people outside of the forum please ensure you preserve forum member’s anonymity. The only exception to this is if something is disclosed that indicates a child or young person under the age of 18 or a vulnerable adult is still at risk of abuse. Our Safeguarding policy means we have a responsibility to pass this information on to the appropriate authorities. Wherever possible we would support people to report the matter themselves.

3. Safety. You are responsible for your own safety as a result of dialogue on the forum. Subjects discussed may well be triggering or upsetting. Please remember that none of us are here as professionals, counsellors or experts, and the groups are not a replacement for therapy or on-going support. To protect your safety, we advise you not to share your email or other personal details with anyone you have met through the website. Please note that that only these protected forums are closed to others; this means that posts or comments to the general forum, blogs or other pages can be read by anyone visiting the site.

4. Respect. We are only the experts for our own healing journey. We are here to learn from each other and it is OK that we will have different experiences, views, problems and solutions. Please respect other members, even if you don’t agree with their views, offering the same respect that you would like them to give you.

5. Disclaimer: This forum is run by a group of peers rather than professionals intending to provide a therapeutic service. This session is not a substitute for, nor an alternative to qualified professional medical or therapeutic advice. A qualified medical advisor and/or counsellor should always be consulted on any health problem. As part of your participation in the forum you agree to recognise that the principle of self-help is that you are responsible for your own levels of sharing and disclosure. The responsibility for handling your levels of vulnerability and openness both during and after the session lies ultimately with you as an individual, choosing voluntarily to participate in the session, rather than with S:Vox as an organization, or any of its representatives or organizers, facilitating the process. In no event shall S:VOX, its organizers, representatives, officers, servants, agents, employees and all other persons connected with S:VOX be held liable for any injury, damage, direct or indirect loss suffered as a result of participating in the forum.

6. Moderation
Several moderators are part of the forum and will monitor that the above guidelines are adhered to. The moderators reserve the right to suspend someone’s membership if their postings or behaviour are offensive or threatening or risk the safety of the forum If you have any concerns about the forums or any user, please email us in confidence using the contact form .