Supporting Survivors Of Sexual Violence And Abuse

This textbook provides practical guidance to enable health professionals to support survivors of sexual violence. It gives insight into the complex and wide-ranging nature and experience of sexual violence, barriers to disclosure, and explores the implications for survivors, health professionals and healthcare organisations. An evidence-based resource, this book provides information, guidance and signposting for all those who might receive disclosures of sexual violence, challenging perceptions, stigma and judgement. As well as discussing disclosure of recent experiences, it takes into account that life events may trigger the re-surfacing of prior experiences. The book also operates as a practical tool, prompting professionals to reflect on their own clinical experience of dealing with disclosures of sexual violence. The chapters look at the full breadth of sexual violence and abuse, including rape and sexual assault, child sexual abuse, harassment and stalking, exploitation, trafficking, conflict situations, traditional practices and sexual violence in LGBTQAI+ communitites. Enabling readers to develop the necessary knowledge and understanding to inform their practice, this book is a comprehensive resource for all health professionals, across primary and secondary care. It is also a valuable text for those taking post-registration courses in sexual health, specialist community and public health nursing, district nursing, mental health and children’s nursing among others. Reflection sections can be used to support professional registration revalidation.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV) is the most common type of sexual violence and a common component of domestic violence, yet most cases go unreported and service responses are often inadequate. This book brings together advice for all those professionals working with individuals who have experienced IPSV and puts forward recommendations to tackle this prevalent form of sexual violence. With contributions from leading experts on IPSV, Intimate Partner Sexual Violence is a comprehensive guide to the subject which bridges the gap between research and practice. Multidisciplinary and international in approach, the book covers key issues salient to all professionals - the impact of IPSV, reproductive coercion, the physical and psychological indicators, possible consequences of taking a case to court, and best practice service responses. One section also addresses the risks and needs of IPSV victims in different contexts, such as those in same-sex or teenage relationships, immigrant victims, and those living in rural areas or in prison. This is an authoritative resource for all professionals who work with IPSV victims including counselors, social workers, refuge workers, victim advocates, mental health professionals, pastoral workers, lawyers, police, and health practitioners.

Victims of sexual assault experience their trauma in different ways, and often one path to recovery and healing is right for one person, but not right for another. While there are some general mental health effects of sexual violence, this book outlines and describes the impact of particular types of sexual violation. Whether the survivor has experienced childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault during adulthood, marital rape, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, or sexual violence within the military, they will find aspects of her experience in these pages. Once survivors understand the ways in which they have been affected, they are introduced to various pathways to surviving sexual violence and moving forward. The chapters provide case examples and specific activities which give a fuller description of the ways survivors can make use of the particular approaches, which include mind-body practices, counseling, group therapies, self-defense training, and others. Anyone who has been a victim of sexual violence, or knows and cares about someone who has, will find relief in these pages, which offer practical approaches to finding balance and healing.

Sexual abuse of children and adolescents is a gross violation of their rights and a global public health problem. It adversely affects the health of children and adolescents. Health care providers are in a unique position to provide an empathetic response to children and adolescents who have been sexually abused. Such a response can go a long way in helping survivors recover from the trauma of sexual abuse. WHO has published new clinical guidelines Responding to Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Sexually Abused aimed at helping front-line health workers, primarily from low resource settings, in providing evidence-based, quality, trauma-informed care to survivors. The guidelines emphasize the importance of promoting safety, offering choices and respecting the wishes and autonomy of children and adolescents. They cover recommendations for post-rape care and mental health; and approaches to minimizing distress in the process of taking medical history, conducting examination and documenting findings.

A health-care provider is likely to be the first professional contact for survivors of intimate partner violence or sexual assault. Evidence suggests that women who have been subjected to violence seek health care more often than non-abused women, even if they do not disclose the associated violence. They also identify health-care providers as the professionals they would most trust with disclosure of abuse. These guidelines are an unprecedented effort to equip healthcare providers with evidence-based guidance as to how to respond to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women. They also provide advice for policy makers, encouraging better coordination and funding of services, and greater attention to responding to sexual violence and partner violence within training programmes for health care providers. The guidelines are based on systematic reviews of the evidence, and cover: 1. identification and clinical care for intimate partner violence 2. clinical care for sexual assault 3. training relating to intimate partner violence and sexual assault against women 4. policy and programmatic approaches to delivering services 5. mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence. The guidelines aim to raise awareness of violence against women among health-care providers and policy-makers, so that they better understand the need for an appropriate health-sector response. They provide standards that can form the basis for national guidelines, and for integrating these issues into health-care provider education.

Sex is such an intimate topic historically wrapped in shame and when someone shares they were sexually abused, we may not know how to respond. With recent #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements, we are learning just how many men, women, boys, and girls have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted person, often family members or leaders in the church. Sexual abuse is rampant in modern society and now--sometimes many years later--sexual abuse survivors are sharing their stories. Anne Marie Miller is a survivor of childhood clergy sexual abuse and has shared her journey toward healing with audiences all over the world. After speaking with thousands of survivors and their loved ones, she saw the need for a fundamental and practical guide for helping supporters of sexual abuse survivors understand the basics of abuse, trauma, healing, and hope. Drawing from her own experience as a survivor and evidence-based research, Anne addresses these questions and more in Healing Together: What is sexual abuse? How can I help survivors? Who are predators and how do they groom victims? How does trauma affect survivors? What happens when someone doesn't remember the details of their abuse? How does abuse wound the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of people who have been abused? When and how should authorities be contacted? How do you talk to your children about sexual abuse? What are the warning signs of abuse? Is healing possible? Whether you are a spouse, a family member, a friend, or a church leader looking for easy-to-navigate resources to understand and support sexual abuse survivors, you'll find answers and hope in these pages.

With statistics showing that 1 in 5 women have experienced some form of sexual abuse, it is likely that all birth professionals will support a survivor of such abuse at some point during their career. This book provides practical advice for those supporting these women throughout their pregnancy, labour, and postnatal periods. The impact of past sexual abuse on women during these periods is often underestimated, and this book shows the need for greater compassion and understanding in maternity services regarding this issue. Drawing on a vast range of research and expertise, this book includes details on the identifiable behaviours of survivors, how to respond when someone says they are a survivor, positive stories, and appropriate language to use. This book is for any care provider who wants to help pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period become a healing experience for those carrying trauma, and to support these survivors with compassion, respect and kindness.

Even in today’s world where the #Me Too movement is raising awareness of the magnitude of sexual abuse, children remain the silent majority of victims of sexual predators and pedophiles. Although there has been an increase in public discussions through the media and high-profile cases, the sexual abuse of children still remains a difficult topic for victims and their families. Dr. Deborah Inman incorporates knowledge and expertise from personal and professional experience with current research and statistics to raise awareness about the continuing prevalence of child sexual abuse and the lifelong impact on victims/survivors. In a thoughtful presentation designed to help parents and mental health professionals navigate through the challenges of this type of abuse, Dr. Inman: • Documents the pervasiveness of childhood sexual abuse in the United States; • provides resources for parents to protect and support their children; • shares insight to help a support system guide children after they reveal their secret; • explains how a survivor’s parents are impacted by abuse; • offers guidance on how to help the child begin healing; • provides detailed examinations of real-life cases; and • challenges the legal system to hold abusers responsible for their actions. In this comprehensive guidebook, Dr. Inman shares wisdom and tips that will help childhood sexual abuse victims and their support systems navigate through the trauma and ultimately toward healing.