ERIC ED418824: Responding to Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community-Based Sexual Abuse Response Team in Aboriginal Communities. Aboriginal Peoples Collection, Technical Series.

300 Pages·1997·3.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
RC 021 419
ED 418 824
Responding to Sexual Abuse: Developing a Community-Based
TITLE
Sexual Abuse Response Team in Aboriginal Communities.
Aboriginal Peoples Collection, Technical Series.
Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ottawa (Ontario).
INSTITUTION
REPORT NO
APC-TS-1-CA(1997)
ISBN-0-662-26242-5
ISBN
1997-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
299p.
Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit, Solicitor General
AVAILABLE FROM
Canada, 340 Laurier Ave. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A OP8,
Canada; World Wide Web: www.sgc.gc.ca
Tests/Questionnaires (160)
Non-Classroom (055)
PUB TYPE
Guides
MF01/PC12 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*American Indian Culture; *Canada Natives; *Child Abuse;
DESCRIPTORS
*Community Action; Community Involvement; Community
Relations; Foreign Countries; Holistic Approach;
*Intervention; Program Development; *Sexual Abuse;
Sexuality; Team Training; Victims of Crime; Well Being
Canada; Cultural Values; *Healing
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This manual addresses the issue of sexual abuse in Canadian
aboriginal communities, and advocates a community sexual abuse response team
approach in building a viable solution to the problem. The manual introduces
the main issues and problems relevant to a community sexual response team.
Chapter 1 looks at the cultural and historical past of aboriginal
communities, including spiritual and philosophical wisdom, European contact
and colonization, and the aboriginal rights movement. Chapter 2 looks at
understanding sexual abuse in aboriginal communities, including healthy
sexuality, sexual abuse, the seriousness and patterns of sexual abuse in
aboriginal communities, and abuse in non-Native communities. Chapter 3
discusses the holistic community wellness approach. Chapter 4 focuses on the
caregiver: stress, burnout, and well-being. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on
community-based intervention issues and strategies, including disclosure,
contact, investigation, legalities, the victim's needs, the healing process,
and setting up the community response team. Chapter 7 explores community
involvement and strategies for generating support. Chapter 8 specifically
addresses the legal, administrative, record-keeping, and ethical details in
building a community response team. Each chapter includes print and nonprint
resources, checklists, guidelines, and illustrative materials. Three
appendices provide sample training sessions for the community response team,
an outline of a 2-year sexual abuse worker training program, and 54
references.
(SAS)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
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This document has been reproduced as
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Minor changes have been made to improve
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Points of view or opinions stated in this doCu-
TECHNICAL
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meet do not necessarily represent official
OERI position or policy.
SERIES
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ABORIGINAL
CORRECTIONS
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POLICY UNIT
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Responding to
Sexual Abuse:
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Developing a Community-
based Sexual Abuse
Response Team in Aboriginal
Communities
APC-TS 1 CA (1997)
A
BEST COPY AVAILABLE,
1+1
Canada
Solliciteur general
Solicitor General
Canada
Canada
2
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and are
not necessarily those of the Ministry of the Solicitor General of
Canada.
Responding to
Sexual Abuse:
Developing a Community-
based Sexual Abuse
Response learn in Aboriginal
Communities
AFC -TS 1 CA (1997)
Aboriginal peoples Collection
Technical Series
Single copies of this manual may be obtained by writing to:
Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit
Solicitor General Canada
340 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
KlA OF&
If more than one copy is required, please feel free to photocopy any or all
parts of this manual.
This manual is also available on the Internet at www.sgc.gc.ca
JS5-2/1-1997E
Cat. No.:
0-662-26242-5
ISBN No.:
RESPONDING TO SEXUAL ABUSE
DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY-BASED SEXUAL ABUSE
RESPONSE TEAM
IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
5
RESPONDING TO SEXUAL ABUSE
AN INTRODUCTION TO IMPORTANT ISSUES RELATED TO
DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY-BASED SEXUAL ABUSE RESPONSE TEAM
IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by the Government of Canada, Solicitor General Canada,
Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit and was conceived and guided by Mr. Ed Buller and
Ms. Sharon McCue of that office. Without the Unit's initiative, support, determination,
and concern for aboriginal issues of sexual abuse, this project would never have
happened.
A debt of gratitude is owed to the Hollow Water Holistic Healing Circle Program
(CHCH) of Hollow Water First Nation, Manitoba, and to the people from Hollow Water,
Akwesasne, Kahnewake, Kuujjuaq, and Waseskun House who participated in the two
four-day workshops held to review the material in this manual and to consult about the
needs of the front-line workers dealing with sexual abuse. Workshop participants gave
days of their time to struggling with the issue of what communities need to know to
prepare themselves for addressing the issue of sexual abuse. Workshop participants were:
Lloyd Bushie
Marilyn Sinclair
Charlotte Bushie
Carol Young
Connie Fontaine
Jeanette Cook
Bevan Skerratt
Kahienes Sky
Linda Deer
Elizabeth Peters
Darlene Cook
Lolly Annahatak
Consultation concerning the content of this manual was done with key individuals who
are recognized for their knowledge and experience in helping aboriginal communities
work with the challenge of sexual abuse. Their thinking and pioneering efforts in the field
contributed enormously to the preparation of this manual. They are: Dr. Cruz Acevedo,
Ms. Hilary Harper, Mr. Phil Lane, Jr., Dr. Peter Fuller, and Ms. Doreen Sterling.
A profound debt of gratitude is also owed to our consulting elders, Mr. Phil Lane, Sr. and
Dr. Lee Piper for their wisdom and continuous support.
6
In the preparation of this manual, we also learned a great deal from the work of Suzanne
Sgroi, and from two other manuals addressing aboriginal community sexual abuse,
namely "Let the Healing Begin", written by Maureen McEvoy and produced by the
Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, and "The Right to be Special", developed by
a
team led by Hilary Harper and produced by the National Association of Native Treatment
Directors. To all of these authors and organizations we extend our deep thanks.
Credits
1. Research and Writing
Judie and Michael Bopp of
The Four Worlds Centre for Development Learning
120B 10th Street N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1V3
Telephone [phone]
2. Editorial Review
Phil Lane Jr.
Cruz Acevedo
Doreen Sterling
Sharon McCue
Ed Buller
Joey Lougheed
Allan Fuller
3. Coordination and Administration
Allan Fuller and Joey Lougheed of
IntraDelta Management Consultants
116A Promenade Du Portage
Promenade du Portage
Hull, Quebec J8X 2K1
Telephone [phone]
4. Funding
The Government of Canada
Solicitor General Canada
Aboriginal Corrections Policy Unit
7
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
iii
Table of Contents
vi
Introduction
Understanding the Roots of the Problem
Chapter One
1
Introduction
3
Part One: Drawing on the Knowledge and Wisdom of the Past
4
Part Two: The Un- Making of a World
12
Part Three: The Aboriginal Healing Movement
18
Resources for Chapter One
25
Chapter Two Understanding Sexual Abuse In First Nations Communities
37
39
Introduction
39
Part One
Healthy Sexuality
Part Two What is Sexual Abuse?
41
Part Three Why Sexual Abuse is Such a Serious Problem in Aboriginal
Communities
43
Patterns of Sexual Abuse in Aboriginal Communities
48
Part Four
Abuse in the Non-Native Community
Part Five
52
Resources for Chapter Two
55
Chapter Three
Moving beyond Abuse: The Community Wellness Approach
65
67
Introduction
Addressing Sexual Abuse as Part of a Total Human and Community
Part One
Wellness Framework
68
Part Two What is Wellness?
70
Indicators of Individual, Family and Community Health
Part Three
74
Resources for Chapter Three
81
Chapter Four
Caring for the Caregiver
91
Introduction
93
Indicators and Sources of Stress for Caregivers
Part One
93
Part Two The Caregiver's Healing Journey
97
Maintaining Well-Being on a Day-to-Day Basis
Part Three
100
Resources for Chapter Four
109
iii
Chapter Five
Responding to abuse:
Community-based Intervention Issues and Strategies
Part One At the Time of Disclosure
123
Introduction
125
Factors in the Initial Response
Part One
125
Part Two When The Victim Is A Child
130
Part Three
When The Victim Is An Adult
136
Part Four
Summary Chart
136
Summary
140
Chapter Six
Responding to abuse:
Community-based intervention issues and strategies
Part Two
The Healing Process and the Formation of a Community
Response Team
141
The Role of the Community Response Team in the Healing Process
143
Part One
The Victim's Healing Issues
144
Part Two The Healing Process
150
Part Three
Setting Up The Sexual Abuse Community Response Team
153
Chapter Seven
Involving the Community
157
Introduction
159
Part One Why Effective Sexual Abuse Programs Need Community
Support and Involvement
160
Part Two Community Barriers to Healing and Development
162
Part Three
Strategies for Generating Community Involvement and Support
163
Part Four
The Role of the Extended Family in Sexual Abuse
Intervention, Treatment and Prevention
167
Part Five
Considerations for Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs
169
Part Six
Community-Based Healing
171
Part Seven
Building a Sustainable Community Safety Net
173
Summary
176
Resources for Chapter Seven
177
Bibliography for Sexual Abuse Prevention and Healing
188
Chapter Eight
The Details
197
Introduction
199
Part One
Legal Concerns and Issues
201
Part Two
Possible Social Consequences of Response Team Work
203
Part Three
Record-keeping and Documentation
205
Summary
214
Conclusions
216
Resources for Chapter Eight
219
9
iv
Appendix A Sample Training Session for Community Sexual Abuse
Response Teams
247
Resources for Appendix A
261
Handouts
287
Appendix B Two-Year Sexual Abuse Worker Training Program Outline
301
Appendix C References
307
Q