Victim support and safeguarding
How to read the stories

Victim support and safeguarding

Safeguarding

Professionals working with children will have a safeguarding policy in their organisation stating how they should respond to a disclosure of abuse. If a child or young person tells you they have been a victim of abuse or that abuse is happening at home, you should listen with tact and believe what they tell you, and think about what to do with the information. Abuse cannot be kept a secret even if the child wishes, and it is important to be honest with them about what will happen next. Their safety is the most important concern. If a child or an adult at risk tells you that they are in danger or have suffered abuse, you should report it to the police or to the local authority social services department.

Therapy and counselling

Psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling work through the therapeutic relationship which is built up between client and therapist. This can be particularly important for people who have experienced abusive intimate relationships all their lives. The therapeutic relationship becomes a first chance to experience a trusting, safe relationship, and it can become a useful part of helping to support someone to change their relationship patterns.

The therapy sessions also provide an opportunity for the person to discuss what is happening in their life, working out what is okay in their ‘real life’ relationships and what isn’t, and to think about how they can bring about changes if they are unhappy with the way things are.

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.