The language of listening

I often think about how language can be a barrier between human beings. Along with seperate and conflicting ideologies and belief systems, language is something that powerfully affects the way we interact and identify with other human beings. The idea of listening can be a very powerful tool that accompanies language.

I volunteered for a crisis hotline, RARCC, which provides support and services to survivors of sexual assault. Calls are private and cannot be disclosed to anyone outside of the agency/law enforcement for legal and privacy purposes. The hotline's first priority is tomake sure the person/all persons involved is safe. Crisis intervention is priority.

Listening is 85% of the call. Using language skills to respond in a calm, caring, and logical manner is 15%. In the initial phone call, you do not know the person. You may not even get details about the person. Verbal communication is key. You then meet person in a hospital or law enforcement setting w/in 45 minutes after the phone call. The immediate response you give on the phone affects trust. After someone's trust has just been broken by abuse, conveying this is imperative.

The significance of language is huge. Sometimes victims cannot talk, they need someone first to listen. Then, you become their voice as their process continues.
Through the use of language, you can act as someone's ear by listening, their comfort by instilling trust, their advocate by telling their story, and their sense of hope - as they may continue the process, and later use their language to help someone else.