Youth Advocacy & Therapy Tips

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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
October, 2015

Over the last several years, sexual assault service providers in our state have been working to enhance their response and accessibility to minor survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). Ideally, we want to create communities that offer safety for young survivors to disclose abuse and agencies that are prepared to provide early intervention services. However, we know that for many reasons, CSA survivors may not disclose their abuse for years. Thus, we want to also be ready to meet the unique…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
With Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
WCSAP Webpage
September, 2017

In studies of adults who were sexually abused as children, two out of three said they never told anyone about the abuse during childhood (London, Bruck, Ceci & Shuman). Accordingly, we can expect survivors may not seek help until they are adults. As advocates, we should feel prepared to work with adult survivors who may no longer be in an immediate danger of assault and meet these survivors in varied places along the healing spectrum. Here are some considerations in your advocacy with…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
Considerations for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
WCSAP Webpage
June, 2018

Therapists can be a critical component of a child's support system and healing process following abuse. However, many children are reluctant to participate in counseling because they don't want to talk about what happened or they may believe that going to therapy means something is wrong with them. While there are significant areas of overlap between a therapist and an advocate, it is because of their differences that they are both important members of a child's professional team after a…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Therapy
Grounding and Anxiety Management with Young Children Series: Part 3 of 3
PDF
June, 2021

Welcome to the third and final part of our series in grounding and anxiety management with young children! For this three-part series we have been focusing on fun and simple activities that you can do with your child to help them better cope with their feelings of frustration and anxiety. This has proven to be especially needed as children (and parents!), have been dealing with the challenges of reduced school times and slow progress on the Pandemic front. Each video resource referenced is…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Parents & Caregivers
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
Fundamentación y Manejo de Ansiedad en Niños Jóvenes, Serie: Parte 2 de 3
WCSAP Webpage
December, 2021

Bienvenidos a la segunda parte de nuestra trilogía sobre la Fundamentación y Manejo de Ansiedad en Niños Jóvenes. Nuestro enfoque en esta serie es de modelar actividades que son divertidas, simples, y educativas que usted pueda enseñar a toda su familia - especialmente a sus chiquitines - para poder manejar el estrés y la ansiedad. En esta segunda parte estaremos aprendiendo como hacer una “Caja de Preocupaciones”.

Caja de Preocupaciones
Crea una experiencia divertida y…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Parents & Caregivers
  • Healthy Relationships
WCSAP Webpage
March, 2015

I recently read a comment from a child advocate that speaks to the core of why advocacy is such an important service for young survivors of sexual abuse in our communities: "I've been working for decades now with children who have experienced significant harm. Each of them expected nothing more or less from life than what they'd experienced." Ultimately, our goal in child advocacy is to help young people envision and pursue a life that is more than and different from the trauma they have…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
Shared Language for Advocacy
WCSAP Webpage
April, 2019

Shared Language

Commercial sexual exploitation of children, or human trafficking, is when a commercial sex act is exchanged for something of value with a minor, and/or when force, fraud, or coercion are present. The legal and cultural language around what we refer to as “commercial sexual exploitation” has evolved over time. We’ve shifted the use of our language to match our current understanding of the power dynamics, legalities, and the lived experience of young people that…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
A Recap
WCSAP Webpage
December, 2018

Confidentiality: a Core Value

Children and teens experience power disparity as they navigate a world created by adults, and this socialization is compounded in the powerlessness caused by sexual violence. As advocates practice confidentiality with child and teen survivors of sexual violence, we challenge the inherent power adults have over children and youth. Advocates can constantly check personal bias about children and teens, and avoid assumptions that we know what is best for…

Topic
  • Child Sexual Abuse
  • Confidentiality & Privilege