Therapy For Abuse Victims

Therapy For Abuse Victims

Therapy for abuse victims – There are lots of reasons why a child or a young person might tell someone they’re being abused, including:

• Realising the abuse is wrong
• Not being able to cope any more
• The abuse getting worse
• Wanting to protect other children
• Wanting the abuser to be punished
• Trusting someone enough to tell them
• Someone asks them directly.

It can be very hard for a child to open up about what’s happened to them. They might be worried about the consequences or that nobody will believe them, or that they will get in trouble for talking about it. They might have told someone before and nothing was done to help them. Sometimes they might not know what’s happening to them is abuse and struggle to share what they’re feeling. Some children don’t reveal they’re being abused for a long time, some may never tell anyone.

What to say to a child and how to respond?

• Listen carefully to what they’re saying, be patient and focus on what you’re being told. Try not to express your own views and feelings. If you appear shocked or as if you don’t believe them it could make them stop talking and take back what they’ve said.
• Give them the tools to talk, if they’re struggling to talk to you then give them as much time as they need, clear the rest of your day if that’s what they need, let them know that you are there for them and will remain your priority for as long as they need.
• Let them know they’ve done the right thing by telling you, reassurance can make a big impact. If they’ve kept the abuse a secret it can have a big impact knowing they’ve shared what’s happened.
• Tell them it’s not their fault, abuse is never a child’s fault. It’s important they hear that and know this.
• Say you’ll take them seriously, they may have kept the abuse secret because they were scared they wouldn’t be believed. Make sure they know they can trust you and you’ll listen and support them.
• Explain what you’ll do next, for younger children, explain you’re going to speak to someone who will able to help them. For older children, explain you’ll need to report the abuse to someone of authority.
• Report what the child has told you as soon as possible, report the incident as soon after you’ve been told about the abuse so the details are fresh in your mind and action can be taken quickly. It can be helpful to take notes as soon after you’ve spoken to the child. Try to keep these as accurate as possible.

How to report child abuse?

If a child reveals abuse to you, it’s important to take it seriously, listen and report, and it’s vital you take the next steps to help keep this child safe.

It’s normal to feel anxious, nervous or unsure when a child discloses abuse. Letting them know that you are here to help and take that worry they have from them, is the most reassuring thing for them. Letting the child know you’re going to be here for them as worried as they may be, this could be the first step to helping protect them and restoring their faith in people again.

What happens when you report abuse?

If you believe the matter is sufficient enough to report the abuse, you can contact the police or your local child services.

Once you have done this you will be asked what the child or young person has disclosed to you and then they will advise you on what needs to happen next. Make a note of

• The name, age and address and any information you have about what has been said and if you have who the alleged abuser is.
• Take detailed notes on what you have been told.
• Share this information with the police officer and/or the person at the children’s services.
• Always make a record of the person and numbers of the people you have spoken to, and the date that this was reported.
• Report this to your safeguarding lead and your supervisor to ensure that you are following within the policies that are in place for your company.

Always remember that the affects that this information can have on you, so make sure that you take care of your own needs and also have enough support through seeking your own therapy and also through supervision, making sure you take care of yourself is essential after hearing a disclosure.