Abuse and disclosure
How to read the stories

Abuse and disclosure

Sadly, a lot of people are sexually abused. It can happen anywhere – in someone’s home, in a hostel or residential home, at a day centre or a social club, on transport or wherever people with learning disabilities are. Typically the abuse is by someone known to the victim, and it is not an isolated incident.

If there are good, understanding people around, then recovery can happen. So, for example, for people who share a house together, someone’s room is their private place and when your body, your most private place, has been broken into, you need to know people respect your room

You can recover quickest from rape or sexual abuse if someone you trust believes you and helps you. Some people do not get listened to. Some women who hurt themselves are seen as problems because of what they do to hurt themselves or others. No one asks why they do it. However, when someone has not been listened to for years, or when someone is frightened that their abusers could still hurt them, they might need extra help.

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.