It was the Twitter campaign that kindled global compassion: #BringBackOurGirls focused on the shocking fate of 276 girls abducted in Chibok, Nigeria, in April, 2014. Some escaped, but most are still missing.

For all the campaign's international reach and support, no one knows what has happened to them. But they are far from alone: As many as 2,000 women and girls, and boys, may have been snatched by Boko Haram since 2012.

In recent months, the Nigerian Army has started retaking territory from the terrorist group and rescuing girls and women. You might think that their nightmare would be over. Far from it. Those returning to their communities (often in refugee camps, as they have all been forced from their homes) are now being rejected by their very own. Now, it seems, we need an even bigger campaign to #SupportOurGirls.

International Alert, the London-based peace-building organization, did research in northeastern Nigeria with UNICEF. We found that these girls are already struggling to cope with the lasting trauma of having lived in captivity with sexual violence. What's more, their communities label them as "Boko Haram wives" or annoba – which means epidemics. Their people, plagued by years of violence, worry these girls have been radicalized – and may recruit others to fight.

The children of these young women, born from sexual violence, receive even less sympathy. We repeatedly heard that "a child of a snake is a snake," referring to a child whose bloodline is shared with an insurgent; people say the children would never be able to fit into society – they have "bad blood."

These children face a future of discrimination and perhaps violence. It's shocking, yet not uncommon. We have only to think of how Europe treated women raped by soldiers during the Second World War to realize that it's not new for a society to blame the victims of sexual violence – and to reject them.

Governments, international aid groups and community organizations must ensure that help reaches these girls and women early on. We found that not enough help has been available for the Boko Haram survivors who have been subjected to sexual violence. For these young women, being isolated from their community means not only a lack of psychological support, but also financial hardship. Many faced dire poverty when they returned home, and sometimes resorted to prostitution to feed their children.

The former Boko Haram captives need psychological and medical help, as well as support to earn an income. Preparations can be made now for a potential influx of new survivors over the coming months as more Boko Haram strongholds are retaken by the Nigerian Army.

We also urge the Nigerian government, humanitarian and faith-based organizations to engage with local communities to stop them from rejecting or stigmatizing these women and their children. Such community efforts could include trauma-healing, peace-building clubs to reduce stigma and tensions, and stronger laws to prevent discrimination.

Thankfully, amid the hardships, there are inspiring examples of local organizations and individuals (some supported by International Alert and UNICEF) who are supporting these girls and young women and creating positive change. For example, the Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria facilitates workshops with girls and women living in refugee camps, providing a place for them to share their stories and connecting them to experts who can provide them with longer-term specialist support.

Other groups bring together victims and community members through dialogue clubs, to explore their negative views of women abducted by Boko Haram, to discuss stigma about sexual assault, and to foster lasting acceptance.

When such discussions began, most people said that they would not accept a woman who had been abducted; later, many people began to change their views.

Women and girls who survive Boko Haram need our support. So, too, do their communities, to help them overcome their fears and support the women in rebuilding their lives. As many faith leaders in Nigeria say, it is only through compassion and forgiveness that the scars of conflict can begin to heal