Family and friends support

You may not know the full story, and you may not need to. Your role is not to investigate. Your role is to be safe, steady and respectful.

What helps

Believe him.

Do not demand details.

Do not make jokes about abuse.

Do not minimise what happened.

Keep his confidence, unless safety is at risk.

Let him decide how much contact he wants.

Invite connection without pressure.

Learn about male survivor experiences.

Do not expect him to “just move on”.

I'm here if you ever want to talk.

You do not owe me the details.

I believe you.

I'm sorry you had to carry that.

You matter to me.

How can I support you in a way that actually helps?

Why are you bringing this up now?

Are you sure that is what happened?

Maybe they didn't mean it.

You need to forgive and move on.

Other people had it worse.

At least it is over now.

Being safe for him may be less about saying the perfect thing and more about not making him carry your discomfort.

If you are worried he is not safe right now,