“This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you.”
The fundamental perpetrator tactic – making themselves the victim. Unpacking tactics like this is incredibly difficult for trauma survivors.
It’s particularly difficult because children have less capacity to critically analyse their environment and tend to take declarations like “this is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you” at face value.
When I think about trauma, it’s often things like war or motorcycle accidents. Complex trauma can occur over years and the habits of thought that create victims often become ingrained in survivors.
Stepping Out is a program that runs courses and groups that help female survivors counteract perpetrator tactics. They give women the opportunity to challenge the thinking processes that were taught to them as children. They give women strategies and knowledge about how to protect their own children, prevent intergenerational trauma, and form lasting, loving relationships.
Samsn is a program that helps male victims of childhood sexual abuse to do the same thing.
We step up to face and learn about the past and may be able to reduce intergenerational trauma for the young ones growing up.
Don’t wait for the world to change – work on yourself and let the world follow.
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support@samsn.org.au
1800 472 676
info@steppingout.org.au
0455 265 241
