Child sex abuse counselling boost

A financial boost will enable the Rotorua Sexual Abuse Centre to offer much needed counselling to children.
The agency has received $30,000 from the Government's Response Fund, which aims to help organisations finding it difficult to meet commitments as a result of the recession.
Centre manager Anne Ward said the money would go towards hiring a counsellor specifically for children as the service currently offered only counselling for adults.
"We're very grateful we got this funding from the Ministry of Social Development, times are hard as other agencies know," Ms Ward said.
"The Sexual Abuse Centre is receiving more and more calls regarding children who have disclosed, or there is suspicion of sexual abuse. Calls are from parents, often from single-parent families, social workers in schools, daycares and other community agencies.
"Often when young people are sexually abused they display sexual behaviour inappropriate for their age, they've had to learn it from somewhere."
Ms Ward said the recession impacted on families and resulted in an escalation of helplessness and hopelessness because of the seeming lack of control over their lives.
"This can lead to 'fudging' of boundaries regarding their children, where they are, what they are doing, who they are with, school attendance," she said.
"This increases the vulnerability of children to being sexually abused by perpetrators who prey on those who are needy, out of control and disempowered."
Ms Ward said her organisation, based at Community House, received some Government funding through its contract with Child, Youth and Families Services but relied on other sources such as lotteries funding to operate.
"With counselling, some may come in once or twice while others may need multiple visits but we would see over 100 clients in a year," Ms Ward said.
"There are three of us here - myself, an adult counsellor and our education trainer and we all work part-time. Even when we hire someone new it will only be for about 20 hours a week.
"Our biggest issue will be trying to find someone suitable, hopefully trained as a counsellor, already working with children and experienced specifically in sexual abuse counselling.
"With children we usually will take them from the age of 4 but we have to work with the whole family.
"When dealing with parents, there is quite different dynamics of emotions going on.
"The dad is usually very angry and wanting to go out and hurt the one responsible, while the mum is trying to hold it all together but at the same time feeling guilty that they didn't know that this person was abusing their child."
Who to call: If you have been a victim of sexual abuse or have concerns or suspicions about abuse occurring, you can call the Rotorua Sexual Abuse Centre for free confidential advice and counselling. Call Ms Ward on (07) 348 1555.
Other Rotorua funding recipients
ADHD (Rotorua) Association $4000
Budget Advisory Service (Rangitaiki) $8750
Family Focus Rotorua $50,000
Manna Support Service (Kawerau) $50,000
Murupara Budget Service $49,678
Rotorua Budget Advisory Service $25,000
Te Aratu Trust (Rotorua) $20,000
Te Awhina Support Services (Murupara) $33,000
Te Puke Community Care Trust $15,000
Te Roopu a Iwi o Te Arawa Trust (Rotorua) $20,000
Te Runanganui O Te Arawa (Rotorua) $31,000
Te Waiariki Purea Trust (Rotorua) $25,000
Western Heights Community Association $25,000
Whanau Support Services Trust (Minginui) $13,000By Dana