INTRODUCTION
Look after yourself
- Child abuse is not pleasant from any angle.
- Look after yourself first.
- Be alert for warning signs.
- Take a break.
- Talk to someone.
- Tell your supervisor.
- Contact us.
- Beware of old memories.
If you experience any difficulties
- Debrief.
- Talk to your Supervisor.
- Don't hesitate to seek professional help.
Beyond Blue: www.beyondblue.org.au
In this course we will be discussing types of child abuse and indicators of such. There will be news articles that relate to certain topics discussed in this course. As part of successfully completing the course you ARE NOT required to open those articles unless you wish to read more about a topic. Please be aware that some of the things we’ll discuss in this lesson may stir up unpleasant memories.
The sad fact is that child abuse is not pleasant no matter how you look at it. Child abuse and the consequences can be graphic and for some people talking about this issue it can trigger memories or create images they’d rather not deal with.
If you’ve been a victim of child abuse in the past, or been affected when someone else was a victim of child abuse, then it’s important to understand that some parts of this lesson may stir up old memories that you thought you’d left behind – so don’t let that happen unexpectedly. Make sure you’re prepared to deal with any of these thoughts and feelings that might emerge, and make sure you have people in mind who can help you to deal with them.
The number one rule when reading this material is “look after yourself first” – you can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself first.
Be alert for warning signs - so if you’re feeling drained, if you’re reluctant to keep reading, if you find yourself dwelling on some of the things we talk about or they are keeping you awake, if you start to feel overwhelmed or depressed and think that the whole world is full of nasty child abusers, or if anything at all about this course starts to bother you or upset you:
- take a break
- talk to someone
- don’t come back until you’re feeling up to it.
If you absolutely cannot get past some of the unpleasant details, then let us know and we may be able to rearrange the course. If you don’t feel comfortable or confident about taking this course, then you should let your Senior Supervisor know. If appropriate you may also wish to talk to your Doctor or Psychologist before commencing this course.