What is child abuse – how to get support (aimed at teens)

ReachOut, Australia

Related to Abuse and neglect, Resilience

This resource describes child abuse and can help if:

You want information about child abuse
You know someone who might have been abused
You want help dealing with abuse

Discover more resources

Website

Keeping yourself safe from child abuse (aimed at children – primary school)

Women's and Children's Health Network

This resource is designed to help children of primary school age keep themselves safe from child abuse. Tips include: Who can help, Handling the problems and others.
Fact sheet

Supporting your child after abuse

The Trauma and Grief Network (TGN)

This fact sheet talks about some of the real challenges that parents, family members and carers face when they find out that their child has been abused.
Practice paper

Play and creative expression

Emerging Minds

This resource demonstrates the importance of encouraging play and creative expression to help children unpack, explore and process difficult experiences like disaster. Creative expression is encouraged as a way for children to communicate about complex emotions and feelings, especially when they might be difficult to articulate verbally
Practice paper

Support networks

Emerging Minds

In addition to the support of extended family, friends and the learning community, responses from governments and specialist mental health services plus digital resources are important to the successful recovery of children and families after a disaster.
Practice paper

Routines and predictability

Emerging Minds

Re-establishing routines and setting boundaries and expectations are important for restoring children's sense of stability and safety after a disaster, especially when they have to spend time away from their parents or home.
Practice paper

Emotional regulation

Emerging Minds

This resource explains the importance of connection, emotional literacy and environment in helping children feel safe, and how regulation can be achieved through the body using sensory- and movement-based exercises, along with fun, relaxing and mindfulness activities.
Practice paper

Child–adult relationships

Emerging Minds

Following a disaster it's common for children to experience increased separation anxiety. This resources explores how parents can help children to develop safe relationships with other caring adults.
Practice paper

Communication and meaning-making

Emerging Minds

This resource offers strategies to support children in making sense of their experiences and process their feelings to help reduce distress, and prevent trauma and mental health difficulties.
Webinar

Working therapeutically with children who have experienced trauma from physical or sexual abuse

Emerging Minds and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN)

Co-produced with the Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN), this webinar discusses how practitioners can respond to the challenges of working therapeutically with families when children have experienced physical or sexual abuse.
Practice paper

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

Emerging Minds

Part two of two: This paper provides guidance to practitioners offering psychological first aid with infants, children and families in the context of a disaster.
Practice paper

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Emerging Minds

This paper is the first of two and introduces psychological first aid (PFA), a psychosocial support approach that can reduce distress and support the mental health of infants, children and families who have experienced a disaster.
Practice paper

Culturally responsive strategies for promoting children’s health and wellbeing across diverse communities (part two)

Amanda Kemperman, Emerging Minds

This paper is the second of two that discuss culturally responsive practice to support children’s mental health and wellbeing when working with families with diverse cultural (or CALD) backgrounds.