Overview
Oftentimes, when children are abused, there is a ripple effect that not only affects the child but also their surrounding support system. When caregivers have also experienced abuse, this can reopen emotional wounds not only for the child but also for the caregiver, which creates a new crisis stage on their own healing journey. As advocates, social workers, and systems professionals, it is important for us to not only understand how to support child victims of trauma, but also adult survivors who are now caregivers. This workshop will help professionals understand common experiences and needs of adult survivors, while discussing the effect this has on the family as a whole. Through small-group and large-group facilitation, participants will consider how survivorship affects a caregiver’s life and capacity to caretake, even many years after the abuse has occurred. Participants will also leave with tools to engage and support caregivers who have experienced their own abuse, so those caregivers can further support their children.