Abuse and disclosure
How to read the stories

Abuse and disclosure

In a relationship physical abuse can take the form of:

physical threats: making angry gestures; using physical size to intimidate; shouting the other person down; destroying the other person’s possessions; breaking things; punching walls; wielding a knife or a gun; threatening to kill or harm the other person and/or the children; threatening to kill or harm family pets
physical violence: punching; slapping; hitting; biting; pinching; kicking; pulling hair out; pushing; shoving; burning; strangling
If someone hurts you by stealing your property, hitting you or having sex with you against your wishes, it is a crime. It hurts you and it is against the law. It is the job of the police to try and protect you.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is the term used to denote the measures used by local and national authorities, working in partnership with other services and the community, to protect children and adults at risk from harm and abuse. In the UK the law says that every organisation that works directly with children or with adults at risk must have a policy saying what should happen if someone reports abuse.

If someone reports abuse to you, this will mean that you need to take steps to make sure that the person is safe now and in the future. Depending on your job this might mean that you tell your line manager about the situation or you report it straight to the local authority social services department and/or to the police if there has been a crime.

There will be guidance in your organisation’s policy about confidentiality and what to write down if someone talks to you about abuse.

Make sure that you know your organisation’s safeguarding policy well. If you are not sure what to do, or you are a private individual, contact the local authority social services department for help.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
• Who do you think that is?
• What is happening?
• How is he or she feeling?
• Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.