Margaret River
A Community Funded Youth Counselling Service
For Children & Young People.
ABOUT BRAVEHEARTS
We believe the whole community has the capacity to participate in protecting
our children; together we can all make a positive difference in child protection.
Founded in 1997 by Mrs Hetty Johnston with the inaugural “White Balloon Day”, Bravehearts Inc. has evolved into an organization whose purpose is to provide therapeutic, support and advocacy services to survivors of child sexual assault.
Bravehearts makes a difference in child protection and is forging a movement for change in how child sexual assault is dealt with by the criminal justice sector, government, institutions, churches and the community at large.
Membership is comprised of survivors, non-abusive parents, friends, partners, professionals and members of the community who all share in the belief that child sexual assault must stop.
Bravehearts currently provide counselling services to hundreds of children each year (plus there is a waiting list) at a cost of nearly half a million dollars per annum.
As well as supporting survivors of child sexual assault, Bravehearts is unique in that we also focus on prevention and early intervention, as well as healing and activism.
Another major goal includes increasing public perception, awareness and understanding of the impact of child sexual assault on the individual, the family unit and society in general.
Counselling Services
Bravehearts provides counselling support
to children and young people who have disclosed they have been sexually assaulted. Bravehearts believe
that a major component of the healing process for this group of children
is that they have the opportunity to know that they have been heart and believed. Being
believed becomes paramount in the case where there is a lack of legal evidence
to support the child’s story.
Bravehearts believe that a big part of healing for individuals who have been sexually assaulted as children, is that they have the opportunity to tell their story. This is done through counselling that ensures people feel heard, believed and respected.
The counselling program provides a supportive, confidential and safe place for individuals to mourn their many losses and to work through their grief and betrayal.
Bravehearts in the community
Our role in the wider community is many and
varied and includes:
- Assisting children and their families to recover from trauma through self help groups and personal therapy;
- Raising funds for survivor support services with initiatives such as “White Balloon Awareness Week” – a public awareness and child protection initiative;
- Protecting survivors and providing them with avenues of redress through projects like the Sexual Assault Disclosure Scheme (SADS):
- Supporting survivors and families through media, government and general advocacy;
- Advocating for survivor’s rights through participation in legislative review and reform;
- Raising community awareness through participation in public debate.
Advocacy & Support
Our Advocacy and Support service
includes providing advice to, and advocating on behalf of, all survivors
of childhood sexual assault at local, State and Federal levels’ pursuing
appropriate channels to assist survivors in the resolution of their concerns
or experienced problems; using specialised knowledge regarding legal avenues
to give survivors realistic and accurate advice about matters for which they
have sought assistance and undertaking survivor casework.
Protection through education
Research has found that one
of the greatest tools for reducing child sexual assault is our children’s
ability to recognise unsafe feelings and/or inappropriate touching, to then
feel safe and confident enough to deflect the unwanted attention and to tell
a trusted adult.
Protecting children through education is a high priority for Bravehearts and has resulted in the creation of an interactive CD-Rom called Dittos’ Keep Safe Adventure. Ditto is the animated lion that features in the Bravehearts logo.
Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure can be purchased from Bravehearts for $19.95.
Statistics
One in three girls and one in six boys will be
sexually assaulted in some way before the age of 18 years. (Australian
Institute of Criminology, 1993)
32% of child sexual assault victims have attempted suicide and 43% have thought about suicide. (Parkinson et al – A study of suicide risk following child sexual assault)
70% of psychiatric patients were sexually assaulted as children. 70% of all Prisoners were assaulted as children. (Children’s Commission of Queensland, Paedophilia in Qld Report – 1997).
Child sexual assault could trigger psychiatric disorders, long-lasting emotional
problems/ sleeping and eating disorders, lack of self-esteem; promiscuous
behaviour, aggression, sexual difficulties, inability to form lasting relationships,
a serious lack of self-confidence, marital problems and poor parenting skills.
((Waters & Kelk, 1991). (Oates & Tong);Australian Institute of Crimonology
Paper on Paedophilia – Effect on Victims)
CONTACTS
Margaret River Bravehearts can be contacted
at the Community Resource Centre
Lisa Nikulinsky ( Co-ordinator & children’s counsellor)
Community
Resource Centre
33 Tunbridge Street
Margaret River. 6285
WA
Tel: (08) 97572077/ 0422486967
Email: mrbravehearts@westnet.com.au