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There is no doubt that telling someone about the abuse you have suffered will be the most difficult thing you have ever done. It will also be the best thing you could ever do. Once you have ‘shared’ the burden then the process of healing can begin and there are many trained counsellors who will be there to support you all the way. However, it is important that you have a sound idea of what will happen after you have taken the first step to tell.
Sadly, telling a trusted adult is not the end of the matter; it is important to understand that every adult has the responsibility to take all allegations of abuse seriously and you cannot expect an adult to help you through things on their own. They must call on extra help and report the abuse officially. This is nothing to be frightened about, it simply means that you will have even more support!
Who will be told ‘next’ will depend on who you tell in the first place. If you have confided in a teacher or doctor then they will have to report it to their own manager or ‘boss’. Once all the concerns have been noted and discussed then Social Services will be notified. Normally, parents will be involved in these talks as it is very important that they understand what is happening. However, if your abuser is a parent and the Social Services Child Protection team feel that telling them might put you, or your brothers or sisters, in danger then they will not be involved in the early stages of the investigation. It is important to realise however, that they will have to be approached at some stage!
If you have told a friend or relative they must contact a professional organisation straight away. They may contact either Social Services or the Police directly, or a registered charity like NSPCC or Childline, who will report the allegations to Social Srvices on your behalf.
Remember, all of the people involved in Child Protection believe in the need to keep children safe and free from harm and all of them are on your side. These people have trained for many years and will have dealt with hundreds of child abuse cases – they are the experts and will support you all the way.
You are not alone!
