Potential risks/discomforts of participation
MapYourVoice is designed to provide benefit to survivors of sexual violence. Even so, by engaging with memories of sexual trauma that are elicited, there is the potential that you will experience psychological discomfort, distress or other upsetting emotions, and/or even retraumatization. These potential disturbances may only last for the duration of your direct engagement, however, they may also persist beyond that timeframe. If you do experience adverse effects as a result of participation, we encourage you to reach out to the hotlines and other resources found within your member account as well as local survivor support resources within your community.
Potential benefits of participation
It is commonly understood within the field of psychology that a majority of sexual violence survivors experience therapeutic benefit from sharing their sexually-traumatic experiences within a safe environment. Additionally, sexual violence survivors who participate in sexual violence research have reported deriving benefit from helping the greater good by supporting research designed to help the existing survivor population and to prevent further sexual violence — both of which MapYourVoice’s anonymous data project is designed to accomplish. Some of the benefits survivors have reported include: turning a negative experience into a positive; sharing the experience as a therapeutic form of “breaking the silence;” and finding meaning through helping others.
Confidentiality
The entire MapYourVoice sexual violence “survivor experience” is designed with confidentiality and protection of our members. The following are steps we have taken to this end:
- Encouraging members to use a pseudonym (not their real name) in their member profile.
- Avoiding collecting personally-identifying member information such as full name, birthdate, social security number, physical address, phone number.
- Encouraging members through the “Are you safe?” popup to take steps within their personal computer/device/phone to ensure their safety and security.
- Giving members multiple options for report visibility on the map — including only having a non-clickable pinpoint.
- Ensuring that all of the research data from our Assault Reports are anonymously aggregated.
- Never selling member data to marketing companies or any potential party intending to derive profit from member data.
Even with these precautions and efforts to ensure the security of our website, we cannot guarantee that the minimal member data that we do collect (email address, IP address) will never be compromised due to hacking or other cyber attacks.
Voluntary participation
MapYourVoice is a nonprofit endeavor of Global Change Project Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that provides free online services to survivors of sexual violence within this online platform. Member participation within MapYourVoice is strictly voluntary, and if members wish to discontinue their participation they may do so at any time. Once an Assault Report is completed, the data will become and remain a part of the MapYourVoice anonymous aggregated quantitative data set.
Release from liability
You understand and agree that MapYourVoice will not be held liable for any and all negative consequences or outcomes resulting from your participation. You understand that your participation is voluntary, and you may refuse to participate or withdraw from participation at any time without penalty. I understand by signing this waiver of liability I am giving up any rights I might have to sue MapYourVoice.
CRITICAL: Your safety is our primary concern. If you are in an at-risk or dangerous situation where knowledge of your participation within MapYourVoice could expose you to any type of harm, we strongly encourage you to NOT PARTICIPATE and instead urge you to carefully seek support to insure your safety and wellbeing — such as contacting law enforcement, a survivor safe haven, a public hospital, or a shelter in your immediate area. Once you are out of harm’s way you can choose to revisit participation in MapYourVoice.