Glossary of Internet Support Group Terms and Acronyms
The following is a glossary of terms used by survivors in an online support setting. Knowing these will help you to understand
what is going on in a forum or thread. If you are here from another site, please click here to be
taken to the main page.
Acquaintance Rape ~ Rape committed by someone the victim knows.
Advocate ~ Someone who provides informational and emotional support to survivors.
CSA ~ Child sexual assault, or child sexual abuse.
Date Rape ~ Rape committed by someone the victim was dating.
Date Rape Drug ~ A drug given to victims to make it easier to attack/assault them.
Domestic Violence ~ Abuse committed by one spouse or partner against the other.
Drug Facilitated Rape ~ Rape committed with the help of drugging the victim.
DV ~ Domestic Violence.
ED ~ Eating Disorder.
Emergency Contraception ~ From PrairieCasa.org: " More commonly known as the "morning after pill." It consists of
two large doses of hormones that will prevent or delay the release of an egg from the ovary if given prior to ovulation.
If post-ovulation, the pill will prevent the egg from traveling down the fallopian tubes and implanting in the uterus."
Gang Rape ~ Rape committed by more than one assailant. Also known as Party Rape.
GHB (Gamma Hydroxybutrate) ~ From TeenCVS.org: "Common date rape drug. GHB can be made in a liquid or powder form,
and its effects can be felt within 15 minutes of indigestion. Depending on the dosage, the effects can be different. A
smaller dosage can create an intensified alcohol like buzz; a higher dose can cause death. Other stages include becoming
sexually aggressive, out of body feeling, vomiting, memory loss, shallow breathing, and seizures. GHB is especially
dangerous because it is made out of some of the same ingredients that are found in bleach and drain cleaner, so if it is
not mixed properly one can die."
Good Touch/Bad Touch ~ The idea of teaching children what kinds of touch are good, and which are bad. Teaching
children which sorts of touch are inappropriate, and what to do about it.
Incest ~ Sexual contact between family members.
Party Rape ~ Rape committed by more than one assailant. Also known as Gang Rape.
PDoc ~ Psychiatrist.
Pedophile ~ Someone who is sexually gratified by children.
Perp ~ Perpetrator, ones attacker or abuser.
PTSD ~ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
R* ~ Rape..occasionally used to substitute for the word rape in situations where there is a concern that seeing
the word may trigger.
Rape Trauma Syndrome ~ From TeenCVS.org: "Pattern of response among rape victims. There are many ways people deal
with sexual assault. There is no "right" style of coping with crisis. Rape Trauma Syndrome characteristically includes
three phases of reaction: acute reaction, outward adjustment/distancing, and resolution. Acute reaction is characterized
by: shock, disbelief, dismay; followed by anxiety, fear, sometimes guilt, shame, helplessness, susceptibility to influence
of helping persons. Outward Adjustment/Distancing is characterized by: return to work, home, or school pursuits; blocking
of trauma; possible anger and resentment; dealing with feelings about assailant and assault. Survivor may move, change
jobs, relationships, etc. The resolution phase is characterized by: the need to talk about the assault; possible periods
of depression; anger at assailant for having used her/him; or at her/himself for being used; anger at society for
encouraging assault."
Rohypnol or "roofies" ~ From TeenCVS.org: "Common date rape drug. The effects of this drug can be felt within
20-30 minutes, and it is dangerous because roofies are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, which means one would not be
able to taste roofies in water. Some signs of roofies are extreme intoxification, reduced inhibitions, and blacking
out."
S.A.R.T ~ From TeenCVS.org: "Acronym standing for Sexual Assault Response Team and a program of Community
Violence Solutions. This team consists of CVS staff, County Health and Human Service Departments, local law enforcement
agencies, crime labs, hospitals, and District Attorneys offices. The goal of S.A.R.T. is to provide an effective,
compassionate forensic medical exam to collect evidence and improve prosecution rates, and to increase the level of safety
and support available to victims."
Scrolling in posts ~ Ok, so this isn't a term or acroynm, but this practice deserves mentioning. Some posts will
require you to scroll down to content. This is because there is explicit or graphic content contained in the post, and the
author is trying to allow the reader a little extra time to stop reading if the reader thinks she/he may be triggered.
Secondary Survivor or "Secondary" ~ A friend, relative, or partner of a child abuse, rape/sexual abuse, or domestic
violence survivor.
Sex Offender List ~ From PrairieCasa.org: "A list of convicted sex offenders in the area, which is available to the
public through the local police department. Convicted sex offenders must register with the local police department each
time they move. Most registries are available via the Internet."
SI ~ Self-Injury.
Spousal or Marital Rape ~ Forcing one's husband or wife to have sex.
Stranger Rape ~ Rape in which victim and perpetrator do not know each other.
Survivor ~ A person who was victimized by sexual assault, sexual abuse, child abuse, or domestic violence, who is
coping/healing from the long-term effects of the trauma suffered.
T ~ Can refer to "therapy" or "therapist". See also T/TW.
T or TW ~ Trigger, or Trigger Warning. When T or TW appears in the title of a message board post or mailing list
email, it is there to warn the reader that there is explicit or graphic content in the post, and to avoid reading if they
believe they may be "triggered" or upset.
Trigger ~ A trigger is something heard, seen, touched, felt, smelled, tasted, etc. by the survivor that causes them
to have a memory, flashback, or in some cases, a panic attack.
As Waters Passing By > Support Groups Info > Terms & Acronyms Glossary