Recent floods hard on child victims of sexual abuse

Researchers have noted that in times of emergency, sexual abuse victims can experience more intense trauma. About one in five boys are sexually abused at some point, and for girls the rate is one in three. This Quebec statistic means that during the Outaouais flooding, a disturbingly high number of young victims of some type of abuse were brought into close quarters with their abusers. Some 1,000 homes were evacuated (585 in Gatineau), putting added pressure on disfunctional relationships.

“Staying with friends or family, sometimes in one room or in a living room, is very difficult for victims of sexual abuse,” explained CIASF director Simon Drolet. CIASF is the Centre d’intervention en abus sexuels pour la famille. “Emotions run high during a time of crisis. And stress, itself, creates dangerous situations.” Drolet told the Bulletin that the police have noted an increase in interventions in cases of child sexual abuse. “We are called to work with families, the police, and with social services,” reported Drolet. “CIASF staff are brought into the situation to help with the immediate aftermath and rebuilding of youth who are victimized.” Perpetrators, besides moving through the legal system in some cases, are helped with their disorders by CIASF as well. An average of 55 adult perpetrators per week use the therapy services at CIASF.

The CIASF director added that prevention and training make a big difference. This includes everyone -- parents, children, friends, and family -- because the abuse and stopping abuse involves multiple people who know each other. Establishing lines of communication will make a big difference for both the victims and their immediate relations.

“Identifying a truth inside (oneself), and being equipped with the tools of expression, are what we work on at CIASF. Open communication is a skill that requires practice. When a child knows how to identify something inside them and express it to someone else, they can be clear, and the person he or she chooses to confide in will be able to get information they can act on to help,” the director of CIASF explained.

Those around such child victims need also to be equipped to listen and respond in a helpful manner at that critical moment. “The reason it is recommended that everyone learn how to listen, and to express themselves clearly, is that at some point a relative or loved one will need to be believed or to believe something awful,” noted Drolet. “How does a parent discern between a child’s desire to avoid an activity they simply don’t like and a child avoiding abusive situations?” There is no perfect formula, he added. “It really goes back to knowing how to communicate.”

To contact CIASF for more information: (819) 595-1905 or Toll Free: 1 (855) 595-1905