Responses to a disclosure of an act of sexual abuse
the initial response might not be one of shock if a survivor has been heard and some action taken.
If one was dismissed, if one suffered post disclosure injustices there will be different responses
then there are many unpredictable responses.
Survivors of sexual abuse
may be retraumatised
but it is unavoidable
and we must be informed
because silence is what
retraumatises us the most.
relief
that the survivor
is not suffering in silence.
compassion for the survivor
A sence of Justice
- Mandatory Reporting is working
The survivor is being heard
and believed
- the removal of the accused
has made the church or school
or other entity safe.
The system let me down
I hope the system works
for this survivor
and the members of this community.
scripts repeated
Child Protection seminarrs
have a componant
which aims to stop
scripts being repeated.
It may well be a time for
a survivor
to break the silence.
"Don't tell anyone"
is unaceptable
yet many of us were told just that
with various threats if we did.