Focus Areas

PDF & Printed Materials
January, 2012

Service providers from all disciplines — medical and mental health, law enforcement, the courts, education, child welfare, and advocacy — can offer trauma-informed services to those they serve. Trauma-informed services approach people from the standpoint of the question "What has happened to you?" rather than "What is wrong with you?" It is important to note that providing trauma-informed services does not mean service providers must determine exactly what has happened to an individual.…

Topic
  • Trauma
  • Program Provision
To Talk To Your Kids About Healthy Sexuality
PDF & Printed Materials
January, 2012

Inside parents can find out about healthy sexual development for children, why it is important to talk to children about sexuality, and tips for having these conversations. It's a great way to get the conversation started!

PDF download:

Topic
  • Parents & Caregivers
  • CSA Prevention
WCSAP Webpage
November, 2011

Providing advocacy services for children and teens who have been sexually abused often requires specialized knowledge and skills. Ensuring that your young clients and their parents are fully informed and supported means having specific information about things such as:

  • The rights of child victims
  • The procedures for a child medical exam
  • Confidentiality and consent considerations for minors
  • Mandatory reporting
  • The roles…
Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
PDF
June, 2011

In this issue of "Partners in Social Change" we examine what it looks like to engage men in sexual violence prevention. Much of the work we do focuses on how communities can prevent sexual violence; therefore this issue seeks to examine men as a community that has the potential to help create social change. The notion that men need to be involved in ending gender-based violence is not new by any means, but we want to take a look at how we can genuinely involve men as part of a movement that…

Topic
  • Male Survivors
  • LGBTQ
  • Gender Specific
With Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth
WCSAP Webpage
April, 2011

Relationship-building with youth who have been commercially sexually exploited is no small task. In many cases, abuse, abandonment and betrayal have characterized their relationships with adults and created mistrust. Additionally, they may not see themselves as victims of exploitation or know how they want to move forward.

As advocates, you already have many of the skills you need to support youth who have been commercially sexually exploited. Building rapport with this population is…

Topic
  • Trafficking & CSEC
Child Sexual Abuse
WCSAP Webpage
April, 2011

Children who have been sexually abused have often experienced an entire series of traumatic events, from multiple victimizations to seriously disrupted relationships with their parents. These children's experiences can't be described with the traditional posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) label; their fundamental ways of interacting with the world and sometimes even their biological functions are changed because of the chronic, pervasive stress to which they have been exposed at this…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Trauma
  • Therapy
Should Not Have Therapy Delayed Until After Trial
WCSAP Webpage
April, 2011

In cases of child sexual abuse, some prosecutors discourage parents or others from placing a child in therapy until after the trial. The fear is that therapy will create memory and suggestibility issues which may be used by defense counsel to attack the child's credibility. Therapists confronting this issue can make the following points.

  1. If a child wants or needs therapy, it is unethical to withhold this treatment. Numerous studies document that sexual abuse…
Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Legal Advocacy
WCSAP Webpage
April, 2011

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a therapeutic technique that helps clients to deal with trauma and disturbing memories. Developed by Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., in the 1980s, EMDR has been extensively researched and found to be an effective method of treating posttraumatic stress. The theory behind EMDR is that trauma memories must be disrupted not only cognitively but also neurologically, allowing the brain to handle past trauma in a different manner. EMDR is…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Therapy
Be a Leader
WCSAP Webpage
March, 2011

No matter what your formal position, you can be a leader in advocating for services to address Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV). Often, it takes just one dedicated individual to initiate these much-needed services.

Do your homework

Even if you are a very experienced advocate, it is crucial to educate yourself thoroughly on Intimate Partner Sexual Violence. Two great starting places: the book…

Topic
  • IPSV
  • Support Groups
Webinar
March, 2011

This webinar will provide an overview of crisis intervention in cases of child sexual abuse. It is intended to build upon and enhance the content presented in the related section of the From Hurt to Hope Child Advocacy Guide. The guide and each complementary webinar aim to support sexual assault advocates in their work with children and families.

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse