What is sex abuse?
- What will happen if I tell Social Services?
- Will they tell my Parents?
- Will I get taken away from home?
- What Will Happen to my Brothers and Sisters?
- If I ‘Tell’ how do I know Social Services
will believe me? - How do I know I will feel better if I tell?
- He/ she said if I tell anyone he/she will hurt other people, what do I do?
- If I tell my teacher will they tell anyone?
- I think my friend is being sexually abused. What should I do?
- Is there any point in telling Social Services and the police if the abuse has stopped?
- If I tell someone will Social Services come to my house even though the abuse has stopped?
- I really wish I had told the police or Social Services because I think he/she could abuse me or someone else again. Do you think I should say something?
- Will the abuser know that it was me who reported them?
- Do Social Services have to tell my parents/carers what happened to me?
- I really need to talk through what happened to me but don’t want my parents to know, what can I do?
- If I rang an agency like ‘Connexions’ and asked to talk it through with them, could they keep it a secret or would they have to tell other people?
How do I know I will feel better if I tell?
Secrets are really hard to keep especially if they are not happy secrets. Keeping something horrid all to ourselves can often make us feel very unhappy, frightened and lonely. There are lots of people who can help you if you talk about it. Sometimes, if you talk about your problems, it may not immediately feel better because people can get very upset and angry about what has happened to you. It is really important that you remember that what happened was not your fault, whatever you may think or have been told. Bottling it up inside can feel worse, as this might mean you become even more unhappy. The best way to stop the abuse is to talk to someone you trust and ask them to listen to what you have to say.