Surviving child abuse is hard enough, but disclosing is yet another hurdle that sexual abuse survivors face. The reaction of those they disclose to plays a major role in how the child recovers. Many people don’t want to believe that child sexual abuse exists in their communities, but it EXISTS even if people don’t want to believe it. It’s in their communities and sometimes even in their families. According to the CDC “about 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys experience child sexual abuse at some point in childhood.” To protect children, it’s important that the adults they trust know how to respond when they disclose their experience of abuse. As hard is it may be to hear, the priority has to be not on the feeling or needs of the adult, but of the needs of the child who is already vulnerable and sharing something that they have had to muster a great deal of courage to speak. The scars of abuse are long lasting but when a child’s disclosure is received right, it sets them on the right path to begin healing. The wrong response to a disclosure can lead a child to pull back and prevent them from disclosing again or ever getting the help they need. It is important to maintain good communication with children to ensure that if or when they are ever in trouble they know they can come talk to you. It is also critical that when children do speak up about an issue they are not treated to a reaction that discourages them from speaking up in the future.
1:09 Stop Pretending The Issue Doesn’t Exist
2:34 Listen To & BELIEVE THEM
4:49 NEVER Blame A Survivor For Being Harmed
6:42 Praise & Reassure But Don’t Make Promises
8:54 Don’t Freak Out -Protect The Child While Limiting Losses
11:25 Quick Recap
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