[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-155539-105":59,"doc-detail-155539-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","questions-to-ask-before-telling-your-story-preparation-guide","Questions to Ask Before Telling Your Story - Preparation Guide","","Deciding to speak publicly about a personal story involves both benefits and risks. This guidance supports preparation by prompting reflection on motivations, definitions of success, and whether telling feels self-driven or pressured by others. It addresses potential impacts on work, family, and friendships; public-record and privacy concerns, including searchability; courtroom considerations; and strategies for handling blame, awkward interactions, media inquiries, and social media responses. It also emphasizes practical planning for logistics and energy, and arranging legal, advocacy, therapy, and ally support.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/questions-to-ask-before-telling-your-story-preparation-guide/155539/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/questions-to-ask-before-telling-your-story-preparation-guide/155539.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Terk","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-08","2026-08-28",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What should you consider before telling your story publicly?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"Clarify why you want to come forward, what good outcomes you hope for, and what success looks like. Reflect on whether the decision is yours or driven by others’ pressure.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"What risks and practical impacts should you plan for?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Expect possible distractions affecting work, friendships, and family life, plus privacy concerns such as becoming a public record. Consider safety risks to you or your family and plan responses to blame or upsetting comments.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How can you get support before and after posting?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"Create a plan for self-care and identify outlets such as therapy or counseling. Arrange support from a lawyer or advocate, and prepare a small group of allies who can discuss your plan and support you during and after your story goes public.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},155539,1787914334,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":81,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":39},1099525198933,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Questions to Ask Before Telling Your Story  \nComing forward publicly is a big decision, without a lot of information to help predict what you can expect because each case is different. This document includes some ideas and questions to help you prepare. Some of these questions may be hard to answer, and Maine's sexual assault support centers (who support people who have been sexually harassed and/or sexually assaulted) can talk with you and support you.  \nPurpose   \nDeciding to speak out publicly about your own story will have both positive and negative impacts. It is okay-and important-to think about your needs and how speaking out meets your goals.  \nWhy do you want to come forward in a public way? What good things do you hope will happen? What does success look like?  \nDo you feel like you have to tell your story for someone else? Are others making you (whether they know it or not) feel like you have to tell your story?  \nRisks   \nComing forward comes with some risk. And while the \\#MeToo movement is beginning to create space where speaking out publicly is more socially acceptable, there are factors to consider. It is important to be aware and prepared for different things that might happen.  \nGoing public will create distractions from your everyday life that could impact your job, friendships and family life. Can you discuss your decision with your family, employer and close friends?  \nIf the press picks up your story, it will become public record. Does it feel okay for your name to be associated with this story? For people to find it through Google?  \nWill coming forward create any risks to the safety of you or your family?  \nHow will you respond if people blame you? If they say things that are upsetting or side with the offender?  \nSometimes no response is best, but having a plan for how you could handle it may be helpful in the moment.  \nHow will you handle discussions with mutual friends, acquaintances, colleagues, etc. if those people are not willing to pick a side? How will you prepare yourself for awkward situations, like bumping into these people in the grocery store?  \nIs your case currently in court (civil, criminal, family)? Have you talked with the district attorney/your attorney about what going public could do to your case?  \nCall or text 1-800-871-7741 or go to mecasa.org to chat. You can text & chat Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. You can call 24/7 .  \nSocial Media   \nSharing your story on social media has its own benefits and risks. One of the benefits of coming forward through social media is that at first, you get to control when your story comes out and who sees it. There are further reaching and longer term impacts of posting on social media –“memories” on Facebook, notifying distant relatives, acquaintances, colleagues as well as people who might also know the offender. Once out in the open social media world, it’s nearly impossible to control who sees and uses your story.  \nDo you have people who will help you before, during, and after your post? Do they know your plan?  \nWhich platform(s) will you post on?  \nIf you have a lawyer, will you have them read your statement before posting it? If not, do you have a trusted friend/ally that can provide you with feedback on your statement?  \nDo you want the post to be shareable? What are your privacy settings? Are you okay with the post being shared beyond your network?  \nWhat is your plan if there are bad comments? Good comments? Are you going to respond?  \nYou might be contacted by media outlets. They may keep calling and try to reach you in many different ways (email, social media accounts, phone calls to your place of work, etc. ) . Will you be open to speaking with them or will you only offer what you posted?  \nMany people will reach out to you. Some survivors may want to share their story with you, people who may want to help and offer support, and others that may have negative reactions. Will you respond? If so, how?  \nHow will you handle internet/social media troll","cbCaieqDApulS3ob","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaieqDApulS3ob","pdf",180347,"English","# Purpose\n# Why come forward?\n# Risks\n## Social Media\n## Logistics\n# Support","[{\"question\":\"What should you consider before telling your story publicly?\",\"answer\":\"Clarify why you want to come forward, what good outcomes you hope for, and what success looks like. Reflect on whether the decision is yours or driven by others’ pressure.\"},{\"question\":\"What risks and practical impacts should you plan for?\",\"answer\":\"Expect possible distractions affecting work, friendships, and family life, plus privacy concerns such as becoming a public record. Consider safety risks to you or your family and plan responses to blame or upsetting comments.\"},{\"question\":\"How can you get support before and after posting?\",\"answer\":\"Create a plan for self-care and identify outlets such as therapy or counseling. Arrange support from a lawyer or advocate, and prepare a small group of allies who can discuss your plan and support you during and after your story goes public.\"}]","Questions to Ask Before Telling Your Story - Preparation Guide | PDF"]