Family Futures to run a one day course on helping victims of child abuse who are fostered or adopted

March 13, 2014 - PRLog -- Sue Hughes, a child Psychotherapist and Social Worker from Family Futures will present the full one day course on Monday 31^st March 2014. Sue will provide an in-depth look at the impacts of child abuse and how the associated problems can be managed. This course is an innovative one, suitable for Therapists Social Workers, Fostering Links Social Workers, Child Protection staff, Foster Carers and Psychologists.

The course will provide an understanding of the key traumatic effects of sexual abuse on child development, and sibling/peer relationships: signs and symptoms. It will provide a framework for assessing the role of re-enactment as a medium of communication about distress, and resolution. Participants will also be advised on best practice guidelines for communicating and working with children who have been sexually abused, children at risk of abusing others, and communicating with their parents and carers.

As unthinkable as it may seem, Looked after children who have been sexually abused may go on to abuse other children. If we fail to see re-enactment of abuse on other children as a communication about the young perpetrator’s own unresolved experience and distress, we risk leaving that child with a legacy of developmental problems that will follow him or her into adulthood. Such children need empathic adults to explore and help them work through their experiences at the earliest possible opportunity.

Family Futures can also provide bespoke in-house training, consultancy and supervision on this and other issues related to adoption and fostering.