Reporting sexual abuse
How to read the stories

Reporting sexual abuse

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.

Medical evidence

When someone is raped a crime has happened. This means that the police need to know. Anybody who rapes somebody needs help to stop, through treatment or prison or both. If they are not caught, they could hurt more people. Because rape is a crime, the police need evidence, and medical examination is the best way. Do not wash yourself or your clothes, or throw your clothes away, even though you may long to do so. The police doctor can get evidence about what happened from your body and your clothes, as well as from what you say. When abusers are found, and many are not, they usually say they did not do anything. This is why medical evidence is necessary.

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.