My comments in Families Study Survey

 

 

My comments to the above survey  March 31 2016

What changes (if any) do you think are needed to be made to support services so that they are more helpful in the period immediately or shortly after the child sexual abuse?

"Find a means to remove the personal biases held by those in authority or profession. As my world view became known under questioning I now realise that in my own childhood (2952 > 1969) and in an instance of abuse of my son (2994) that the primary reason for rejection by police and other authorities is that I did not hold the same religious views as those in authority. As an atheist (in a religious environment) since early childhood I still encounter similar (bigotry, denial and their biased and seemingly unresolved misdirected anger) responses when dealing with institutions today."


What changes (if any) do you think are needed to be made to support services that would make it easier for your child to access support services IMMEDIATELY OR SHORTLY AFTER the child sexual abuse?

The instances of abuse that I refer to here were either perpetrated by clergy or closely associated religious followers

My experience has shown a great deal of difficulty in obtaining genuine and factual knowledge as to the use or non use of religious or Faith healing techniques or tactics. My recent experience of dealing with recommended support via the current Royal Commission found that direct questioning was insufficient to elicit a truthful response from the service provider. This proves to be an expensive and a damaging exercise resulting from a deception. This fraudulent misrepresentation results in increasing degrees of suffering in the unsuspecting client; as well they experience another layer of abandonment as a result of the inability of the professional to provide an evidence based service.  This deception uses up valuable available visits and delays progress for the client as well as adding additional layers of trauma that have to be dealt with before real progress can become available. The only purpose served is that the provider receives payment for a service that is based on their religious beliefs and philosophy while the client who seeks trauma informed and evidence based support is repeatedly deceived and is abused and abandoned yet again thus deepening the original harm.

The euphemism used to describe a Christian based form of counselling service via the public scheme was that the psychologist was trauma informed and had "strong boundaries". When attempting to describe violent sexual abuse and torture that was inflicted with a mixture of religious statements the psychologist was unable to provide suitable assistance and attempted to water down and to minimise the affects and the influence of the religious aspects.

She described her strong boundaries as being protected by her religion and its teaching from my lack of belief in her very apparent delusions.

As a survivor of institutional abuse I have had contacted with a number of survivors who are now or have been atheists who have experienced similar. I have heard from them independently over a period of 6 to 8 years of pantomime like actions by the psychologists when they encounter similar circumstances (the client discloses the use of religion intermingled with sex or other crimes or abuses). The most often described is head slumping and cries of anguish and desperation from the psychologist. The provision of religious cards with religious words or phrasing. The offering of a plea for the victim to return to their religious beliefs as the only true form of healing can be found though that undertaking. I am aware of clients committing suicide very shortly after such an encounter. I know from my own experience that repeat encounters of this caused me extreme suffering that vastly increased my own risk of suicide.

As the perceived right of the psychologist over-rides any perceived right of the client the client has a right to a full and open disclosure so that they can make an informed decision about their own and the well-being of their children or loved ones.

A register clearly showing where the service provider received any education or training. If they hold a world view that is based on other than empirical evidence this should be clearly able to be understood by prospective clients so that the risk of further abuse through this deceptive form of evangelisism and increased risk of suicide can be minimised.

What changes (if any) do you think are needed to be made so that support services are more helpful IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING the child sexual abuse?

Every report made to police that involves abuse should generate an incident number that is forwarded by email or text to the individual reporting. My personal experience and the anecdotal experience of those survivors I have engaged with have related repeated and independent stories of how this initial point of contact had a profound influence on any outcomes. The majority reported minimisation and disbelief when the crimes included clergy or the religious.

This was found on several occasions to be toxic in that the officer reported to also was a practising member of the same religion as the perpetrator and is still mentioned today in relation to investigations into child sex crimes in my own circumstance and in the circumstance of others that I have contact with.

What changes (if any) do you think are needed to be made to support services that would make it easier for your son or daughter to access support services IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING the child sexual abuse?

Religious support, counselling or psychological services be accurately described as Faith based support
That support, counselling or psychological services be accurately described when they provide empirical evidence based support

What was it about this support service that was most helpful to you?

It did not seek to influence services or recovery to appease the world view or the religious perspective of the provider

Do you have any further comment to make about accessing or using support services?

Not at this time

 

 

I posted this this morning into a family page on Facebook