For training youth leaders, to raise the awareness of sexual abuse among teenagers, offer guidelines on what constitutes sexual abuse, and suggest some steps to take if someone they know has been or is being sexually abused.

OVERVIEW

LEADER PREPARATION

• Use great care when addressing this most sensitive subject.
• The discussion leader should be well-studied in current sexual abuse statistics among children ages 1 to 20; prepare an informative handout for the group.
• The leader should spend some time with a professional counselor who works with sexual abuse victims. He or she should gather information about the warning signs of sexual abuse in a home and the effects of sexual abuse on the victim. Compile this information needs in handout form.
• Since this is a complex issue, the leader should have a trained counselor readily available if a young person needs to talk further.

GROUP BUILDING

Divide the group into smaller groups of 4 or 5. Give the groups fifteen minutes to answer the following questions:

• What do you think constitutes sexual abuse?
• Describe what you think a home where sexual abuse is taking place would look like.
• What effects do you think a sexual abuse victim would have from both intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual abuse? Would there be a difference? If so, what?

After the groups have spent the time in this initial discussion, bring them come back together to report and share their thoughts with the whole group.

GROUP PRESENTATION

Using handouts, present the following:

• A clear definition of sexual abuse.
• Current statistics concerning sexual abuse.
• An accurate picture (according to research) of the home where sexual abuse is taking place.
• The warning signs and effects of sexual abuse upon the victims.

GROUP DISCUSSION

Ask any of the following questions as appropriate for your group:

• What kind of home life do you think the abuser had while growing up? How does that home life affect or direct one’s actions as an abuser?
• How do the statistics apply to the area in which you are working? How prevalent do you think sexual abuse is in your area?
• How do we address the needs of sexual abuse victims?
• What is the youth worker’s role in working with victims of sexual abuse? What is not our role?
• How can you address the spiritual needs of sexual abuse victims?
• What is your legal responsibility if you know or suspect that sexual abuse is taking place?

WRAP-UP

Sexual abuse is more common in than most suspect or would like to believe. The psychological effects on sexual abuse victims should challenge youth workers to deeply consider how to work with them.

EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP

Evaluation and follow-up in this area are a difficult task. It is up to each individual to be sensitive and aware of the hurts of the kids with which one interacts. Be especially careful with victims of sexual abuse.

IMPLICATIONS

1. Youth leaders need to pay careful attention to kids’ stories kids. Within each are little windows into their lives—hurts, pains and joys—windows that may possibly point to sexual abuse.
2. When knowing a kid who is dealing with the pains and healing of sexual abuse, consistently nurture their needs and be sensitive to their fears.

Bill Fisher cCYS