Tier 3 – Specialist knowledge

Knowledge

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 knowledge, you need to know: 

• the importance of trust and safety in a therapeutic or healing relationship. To establish this, you need to:
  • take time to build the relationship with the victim or survivor
  • be consistent, predictable and reliable in your connection with the victim or survivor
  • know that previous experiences of disclosure and help-seeking may affect a victim and survivor’s willingness to engage with you and your service.
• some children will find it helpful to talk about what happened and others will not
• victims and survivors need to work at their own pace in counselling, so they feel in control
• victims and survivors may need support to maintain contact with services
• victims and survivors may be re-triggered by significant events (e.g. pregnancy, childbirth, anniversary of the abuse), which may need your immediate attention
• networking and community engagement can assist to deliver inclusive services.

Skills

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 skills, you can: 

• welcome people with complex trauma histories and provide the longer-term support, case management and advocacy that they need for their recovery and healing
• skilfully and sensitively respond to different interpersonal communication styles and ways of being while remaining person-centred and trauma-informed
• actively engage and support diverse lifestyles, choices, and worldviews
• maintain a constructive working relationship attending to and effectively resolving any challenges
• identify groups in the community that are not represented in the service population and develop plans for engaging these communities
• wherever possible, give the victim and survivor plenty of notice of any changes to usual routines (e.g. holidays, absences, change in role) and provide space for them to process their reactions
• work with children and young people to develop skills for emotional regulation and self-soothing.

Did you know?

Building Trust 

Engagement in therapeutic interventions is most likely to occur “…in the context of a trusted professional relationship where [victims and survivors] feel supported and emotionally close to the worker.” 

– Excerpt from research article by Lefevre et al. (2017) 

“The core experience of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. Recovery, therefore, is based on the empowerment of the survivors and the creations of new connections” 

– Excerpt from Trauma and Recovery by Herman (1992)

Practice tip

Establishing healthy boundaries 

Establishing healthy boundaries is an important skill for workers and victims and survivors. The Healthy Boundaries resource from the Centre Against Sexual Violence in Queensland provides some useful information.

What do victims and survivors tell us?

‘She wasn’t in my life for that long, but she made a big impact. She was someone who was good at her job, who showed that she cared and that she believed in us. I never saw or heard from her outside of the group and when she contacted me it was always through my parents. That was good – I felt safer because my parents knew her and knew what we were doing … I always knew what to expect from her. She was kind of strict, but she was caring at the same time. I always knew where I stood with her.’ 

– Young person quoted in the Commission for Children and Young People’s Empowerment and participation: A guide for organisations working with children and young people

Knowledge

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 knowledge, you need to know: 

• it is important to ask young people and adult victims or survivors whether they want family, kin or supporters involved, and in what way
• family, kin and supporters may find it difficult to offer support to a victim or survivor if they have lived or living experience of child sexual abuse themselves
• it may be useful to assist them to find support for themselves before involving them in the healing and recovery of another person
• in the case of children and young people, it is important to be mindful of their capacity to choose to involve parents, carers, guardians and supporters, the safety implications and your legal responsibilities
• family, kin and supporters may provide useful information to support healing and recovery.

Skills

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 skills, you can: 

• help the victim and survivor to identify how they would like to involve family, kin and supporters
• work with the child, young person or adult to identify someone that they feel they can trust and turn to when they feel distressed
• if appropriate, genuinely involve family, kin and supporters in the healing process rather than only keeping them informed
• manage confidentiality and be clear about the limits of information-sharing, particularly when working with young people and their parents or carers.

Did you know?

Supporting parents

‘ … Parenting while trying to cope with the turmoil caused by the discovery/suspicion of abuse is an immense challenge. Parents who feel supported are more able to manage their own feelings and provide the support their child needs. They are also more likely to engage effectively with professionals seeking to address the abuse and protect the child.’ 

– Extract from Supporting parents and carers: A guide for those working with families affected by child sexual abuse, UK Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse

Practice tip

A whole-of-family approach 

The video from the UK Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse outlines the components of a whole-of-family approach to supporting child victims and survivors. 

You may also find some of the webinars, podcasts and practice papers on the Emerging Minds website useful.

Knowledge

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 knowledge, you need to know: 

• it is important to communicate your commitment to, and belief in, the recovery of the victim and survivor
• the importance of helping victims and survivors reconnect with ordinary life and engage or re-engage with support networks of their choice
• for children and young people, this may be re-engagement in schooling and education and other sporting or organised activities to support hope in recovery
• that many victims and survivors find peer support very helpful.

Skills

In addition to Tier 1 & Tier 2 skills, you can: 

• ask the victim and survivor about their hopes for healing and recovery and translate these into achievable goals
• help the victim and survivor to identify what is meaningful for them and what would allow them to reconnect with ordinary life
• encourage victims and survivors to engage with positive social supports and create new networks
• support victims and survivors of all ages to build their skills, seek appropriate help with confidence and act in their own best interests
• find and share public victim and survivor stories to demonstrate that healing and recovery is possible
• notice and highlight changes throughout work with the victim and survivor.

Resource

This Australian research article by MacGinley, Breckenridge and Mowll (2019) explores the experience of shame following child sexual abuse. 

The Legacy of Shame following Childhood Sexual Abuse Disclosures by Lateef et al. (2023) provides insights into the legacy of shame following child sexual abuse disclosures and how this may impact the needs of victims and survivors.