A strong support network is paramount to a survivor’s recovery journey. It can be difficult to know exactly what is helpful or needed.
(Please see our Companions section which gives some ideas of how best to help)
In order to support a survivor (particularly when they first disclose their abuse) it is important to have an understanding of the effects of child sexual abuse. What we say to a survivor and how we say it can be either helpful or unhelpful and in some cases even detrimental. There is a lot of helpful information available about trauma and how it effects the brain and nervous system. We recommend that survivors and their supporters check out the psycho educational material on our resources page. If someone has trusted you enough to share their experiences with you:
- Believe Them
- Listen Without Interrupting
- Validate and Reassure them
- Help them to Explore and Research the next Steps they can take.
