Support a Survivor
Child abuse has been acknowledged now for some years. The victims of abuse have been supported by society and have begun to deal with the pain and emotion that has been bottled up inside since their rocky childhood. In the midst of this healing there has been one group that has been overlooked – the friends, family, partners and loved ones of the survivors. (For the purpose of this section partners are those who are in intimate relationships with survivors i.e. lovers, husbands, wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends.) If you are supporting a survivor of child abuse then the chances are you are dealing with the effects of abuse. Survivors often have difficulties with trust, sexual intimacy, commitment and much, much more. You will also be directly effected by these problems and issues too.
This section is intended to provide you with help and information about ways in which you can help the survivor but also help yourself. There are numerous books on the subject which you can read but I strongly recommend that you talk to a counsellor and/or join a support group as well. Our forums have specific sections for the supporters of survivors. If you are just starting to find out about child abuse and are looking for basic information then we thoroughly recommend that you explore the whole website and then come back to this section armed with the knowledge that you have just found. If you have been helping the survivor for some time now and just want to find support, information and clarification then you’re at the right place.