How to Start a Child Sexual Abuse Support Group
One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before age 18. Survivors of childhood sexual assault and their family members often need support and counseling to heal. Whether you are a friend or family member of a child who needs support after a sexual assault or an adult survivor of childhood sexual assault, finding a safe space to meet other survivors can be very healing. If there is no existing support group for child sexual assault where you live, you can take steps to start one.
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Instructions
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Enlist help from a professional counselor. Check with your local anti-violence, intimate partner violence and rape crisis service agencies. If you don't know which resources are in your area, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE and be automatically connected to an agency near you. If the agency cannot help you right now, try reaching out to others who might be able to help, like supportive clergy, mental health centers or therapists.
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Find a location to host your support group. If you are working with an existing counseling agency, they probably have space you could use for the support group. Houses of worship and community centers will sometimes let you use their meeting space for free for support groups. Make sure the location is a place where you can close the door to keep the support group private and safe for participants.
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Get the word out. Put up fliers in public places and call any organizations in your area that might be interested. Call women's health centers, freestanding health clinics, the local department of social services, houses of worship, mental health providers, college health centers and local therapists. Reach out to your personal network via word of mouth, phone and email. On all publicity materials, ask people to RSVP. Ideally, you could use the name and number of the professional facilitator as the RSVP contact.
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Have your first support group. Work with your facilitator to come up with a format, agenda and activities for the group. Know that the participants are possibly very nervous and be friendly but respectful as you greet people.
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Create an email list to stay in touch with group participants. With the group facilitator, set a schedule for future meetings, whether it is once per week or once per month. Send out reminders to the participants a few days before each future support group meeting.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes group support is not enough. Child sexual assault survivors may benefit from a support group paired with individual counseling sessions.
If you are not up for the challenge of starting a child sexual assault support group, you can still connect and get help. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) has a 24-hour online hot line. Darkness to Light has a national directory of resources for sexual assault survivors.
Hosting a support group without a professional counselor is possible. However, it is a very large emotional burden to care for other people's emotional needs and may take away from what you get out of a support group. Common problems following childhood sexual assault are depression, post traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism and drug abuse, thoughts of suicide and engaging in risky behaviors. Because you are not a trained professional who is equipped to help people navigate these potentially serious problems, it is best to involve a trained professional in your support group.
References
Resources
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Comments
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getting a child to trust you a conselor is not easy, it is important to use special skill and good introduction for eaxmple, my name is........ I help children.
