Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre creates new sexual violence support for youngsters

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre has released a new resource for 12 to 14-year-olds who have experienced sexual violence.

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Edinburgh new booklet of sexual volence for 12-14 year olds.

The centre’s special unit for young survivors, STAR, has created a self-care booklet – It’s OK To Be Me – which deals with the specific effects trauma has on children and young adults.

The resource explains what consent and sexual violence are and includes a wide range of exercises to help facilitate ways of coping with complicated issues and feelings.

The centre has a similar booklet for all survivors called The Little Green Book with information and exercises for survivors.

However, the STAR project, who provides specialist support for 12 to 18-year-olds, were keen to produce a new resource specifically for young survivors.

The team recognised that there were few resources for young survivors, especially those aged 12-14, and wanted to create an age-appropriate booklet that took a gentle, supportive approach and explained difficult concepts in a simple way.

It’s OK To Be Me covers the many common impacts of trauma after sexual violence but has named these topics in an easier and less daunting way.

The section about dissociation is called “Numbness and Spacing Out” and the flashbacks section is named “I keep remembering scary memories as though they are happening to me again”.

Drawing from their wealth of experience, the team recognised that young survivors’ self-worth is affected after sexual violence and has also included some exercises around self-care and even a section on What’s Good About Me. Certain young people who use the crisis centre have had access to this resource before release and have said that they have found the resource helpful.

One young survivor said: “I feel a lot more confident within myself and feel that I have coping mechanisms I can rely on.

“Before support, I felt very responsible for what happened but now I feel that it was not my fault.”

Another said that through the support they “finally feel themselves again” while a third commented that they felt “A lot more happy and confident” and said, “things are a lot better now”.

Important resource

Caroline Burrell, director of Edinburgh’s Rape Crisis Centre, said: “We are very proud of this bespoke psychoeducational resource for 12-14 years developed by our STAR team.

“It will be a very important resource to help young people navigate their journey with STAR to recovery from the sexual violence they have experienced.”

You can download an online copy of the booklet It’s OK To Be You from the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre website: www.ercc.scot. And you can contact the STAR Project for support by phone or email: Mobile: [phone] or email: [email protected]