BUZZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE
#SeeMeForWhoIAm
STARS Dorset’s campaign breaking the silence on sexual violence
As we approach Sexual Violence Awareness Week in February, STARS Dorset is launching an important new campaign that aims to challenge the taboos and stigmas surrounding sexual violence.
The #SeeMeForWhoIAm initiative, set to launch in February, seeks to shift the narrative away from victim blaming and instead focuses on the individuals that have experienced sexual violence.
STARS Dorset is a local charity that provides support to all individuals in Dorset that have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their life.
Stephanie Lee, Engagement Leader at STARS Dorset said: “#SeeMeForWhoIAm, takes away the ‘she was just up for it’, what they were wearing, ‘they was drunk’.
“We very much focus on the circumstances of why it happened and what happened, rather than who it happened to, and were trying to bring back the connection between the person and the sexual objectification of what happened.”
Stephanie Lee, STARS Engagement Leader- Photo by Cerys Self
Stephanie Lee, STARS Engagement Leader- Photo by Cerys Self
Why #SeeMeForWhoIAm matters
The campaign hopes to encourage talking and the uncover the realities of sexual violence.
Stephanie highlighted how many people feel disconnected with the idea of sexual violence and are unaware that it is happening around them.
She said: “Some people think it’s not us, it’s somebody we couldn’t imagine, it’s not something we would connect with, but the idea is that it could be any one of us.
“It could be someone you see every single day, and you don’t really see them for who they are.”
The campaign aims to challenge these assumptions and focus on the person behind the trauma, as opposed to figures and data you may see online.
“We read it in the paper or the news and we don’t then go, that person is a daughter, a brother or a son or a mother.
“But they’re real people with real lives and with real day to day experiences.”
The awareness of sexual violence is now needed more than ever. Stephanie shared that since COVID-19, referrals to STARS has increased, which the team see as a positive sign that more people are turning to their organisation for support. STARS Dorset however, still believe there is a stigma in coming forward, which they hope to tackle with their new campaign.
According to the Crime Survey of England, one in five women have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16. Further research from the Office for National Statistics showed that only 15% of sexual assaults are reported to the police, highlighting a significant gap between the number of victims and the number of victims reporting the crime.
Campaigns, like #SeeMeForWhoIAm, are therefore crucial in encouraging people to speak out about sexual violence.
STARS work
STARS Dorset's work goes beyond their current campaign. For over three decades, the charity has been providing essential support to survivors of sexual violence in Dorset.
The charity offers one-to-one support and counselling, as well as engagement and prevention work, providing educational programmes on consent and sexual violence.
They work will children, young people and adults all across the Dorset area.
For Stephanie Lee, her work for STARS has also made her realise how sexual violence is a greater issue, uncovering that a lot of people she knew had been a victim of sexual violence.
She said: “Once I moved into this sector, lots of people close to me started disclosing to me things that had happened and you suddenly realise it’s (sexual violence) not just happening in certain areas of the world, it’s happening right under my nose, it’s happening in my circle of people.
"So it just lit that fire more and more that I want to be part of that change that I see in the world.”
Sexual violence Awareness Week runs from the 3rd-9th February 2025.
STARS Dorset’s #SeeMeForWhoIAm campaign offers a powerful reminder that survivors are more than their trauma. By encouraging open conversations and challenging myths, the campaign aims to help Dorset’s community feel seen and supported.
STARS contact information:
General Enquiries: 01202 308840
Support Line: 01202 308855
Referrals: 01202 308 840
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