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SEXUAL ABUSE PROJECT TO OFFER NEW SERVICES

Published: 16/04/2009

9 December 2008

A Nottingham charity has expanded its range of counselling services to provide a lifeline to even more women who were sexually abused in childhood, across the county.  The announcement comes as new figures show that up to 15 per cent of girls have been subjected to some form of sexual abuse*. 

The Sexual Abuse Project, which currently provides essential support to hundreds of women in Nottingham, has increased the level of support it offers to make sure it reaches more women who are in need of help. 

Previously a standalone project, the Sexual Abuse Project has become an integrated service within Nottingham Counselling Service.  As a result, the Project has been able to react to demand and offer more short-term group and individual counselling sessions. 

More than 1,000 women have accessed the Sexual Abuse Project since it was set up over 11 years ago, but it had been feared that some women were missing out on the vital support they need.  Recent feedback had shown that the Project’s existing long-term group counselling groups weren’t suitable for everyone.  Some women struggle to deal with past abuse but are not ready to talk about it, but need help to deal with everyday struggles in day to day life. 

Now, as part of Nottingham Counselling Service, the Sexual Abuse Project is able to cater for these women by offering new 10 week support groups that are less in-depth and avoid going over the history of abuse.  Instead, the counselling focuses on helping women to make life better. The Project is also providing individual counselling in which women can meet face-to-face with an experienced female therapist.  This is in addition to the more long-term and in-depth 18 months group counselling it already provides. 

Tres Roche, Project Coordinator, said: “Children, who suffer sexual abuse in childhood, grow up into adults who can be emotionally and psychologically affected by their past histories.  Abuse in childhood can lead to depression, anxiety, eating disorders and self harm and there are very few places where women can get specialist help and support to help them overcome these problems.  The Sexual Abuse Project is one such place, and now we can move forward with Nottingham Counselling Service to fight together to make sure every woman who needs support gets it.”

ENDS.

NOTES:

*A series of papers published on 3 December 2008, by the Lancet medical journal, in collaboration with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, stated that some 5-10% of girls and 1-5% of boys have been subjected to penetrative sex, usually by a family friend or relative. If sexual abuse is defined more widely - as anything from being shown pornographic magazines to rape - it is estimated that it will include at least 15% of girls and 5% of boys.

Official Home Office figures released in the ‘Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse’ published in April 2007, state that: “21% of girls and 11% of boys experience some form of child sex abuse. 23% of women and 3% of men experience sexual assault as an adult.” http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/sexualoffences/finalsummary.pdf