NOSCP Community Forests

Understanding And Responding To
Sexually Abused Children In First Nations

Jim Docherty -Five Day Workshop
Designed for groups of 10 to 12 people for optimum learning experience.

Day One: Introductions & Prayers

General Knowledge

· Current statistics & research
· Facts and Myths about Child Sexual Abuse.

Understanding the Legislation

· Understanding the law as it applies to First Nations
· Legal implications
· Expectations on the worker

The Abuse Process

· Understanding the child’s experience
· Patterns of abusers
· Strategies for prevention
(This session may run into Day Two)

Day Two: Understanding The Perpetrators

· Who are they? Where do they come from?
· Sexuality vs Abuse and Exploitation, what’s the difference?

Physical Symptoms And Behavioral Characteristics
Of Abused Children

· Recognizing the behaviors
· Interpreting the behaviour
· Intervention approaches

Assessing The Degree Of Damage To The Child

· This is a method of understanding how much healing will be necessary to assist the victim in successfully traveling the healing journey


Day Three: Responding To The Child
(Video: Free to be me)

· Taking the disclosure
· Providing supports to the child
· Practicing the disclosure interview
In this session we will practice interviews using video replay or using observers of role plays.

Day Four: Healing Strategies

· Counselling skills
· Individual approaches
· Family work
· Community strategies

Day Five:  Understanding the Community And Family Context

· The String Exercise
· Family Systems and Family roles
· Self and Group evaluation
· Preparing a personal plan for practicing skills.

Wrap Up:  The session will wrap up with a lunch

This will be an intensive five day workshop focused on helping the staff in the community understand the both the victims and children in a non-judgmental and supportive light.
There will be added emphasis on practice of skills and techniques.