Listen carefully when they talk about it
Encourage
them to draw pictures about how they feel
Encourage
them to listen to music that comforts them
Repeatedly
say corrective responses to them: i.e.:
it was not your fault, you are not bad,
you didn’t do anything wrong, it was
wrong for the other person to touch you
like that, I’m sorry that happened,
you didn’t do anything to deserve
it, etc.
Read
children’s books about sexual abuse
issues
Participate
in a formal therapy process or group therapy
Involve the children in an activity where
they specifically develop good body control,
positive body movements, positive body image,
etc.
Allow
them to express their anger at the perpetrator
Don’t
force them to “get over” their
separation anxiety too soon – they
will let you know when they feel comfortable
enough to safely be away from you again
Let
the children sleep wherever they feel the
safest.
Get
a pet for a special companion – for
comfort and emotional safety
Assisting
sexually abused children through the healing
and recovery process is a long, complicated,
and essential task. Effective healing can
prevent years of additional heartache from
long term negative
effects of child abuse.
The
list of "What to Do Now" is actually
as varied and unique as each individual
child in each individual situation.
If
you are struggling or unclear about what
to do for the child that you love, please
contact AbuseConsultant.com at your earliest
convenience. Personalized and creative assistance
is truly available for you.
Click
here to request your clinical e-mail
consultation.
