Introduction

How the Workshop Came to Be

The Strengths of Shelter Workers

What is Abuse?

Why Abuse is Happening in Inuit Society

Understanding the Cycle of Violence

Inuit People and Healing

How My Shelter Helps Healing

Counselling 101

The Purpose of Counselling

Building a Counselling Relationship

Confidentiality

Good Listening

Gathering Information

Setting Goals

Taking Action

Suicide Prevention

Children and Abuse

The Impact of Abuse on Children

What Children Need

Helping Children Express Their Feelings

Safety Plans for Children

Working in a Shelter

Creating Physical Safety

Emotional Self-Esteem

Building Self-Esteem

Caring for Yourself

Dealing with Difficult Residents

Dealing with Conflict at the Shelter

Shelter Procedures and Records

Building Links with the Community

References

What Children Need

Children who have witnessed violence and/or are victims of abuse themselves have many needs.

They need:

• To be protected from physical, sexual or emotional abuse and to know that violence is wrong.
• To have their basic needs met for food and shelter.
• To be reassured that the violence isn’t their fault.
• To talk with someone and be given accurate information about their situation.
• To feel safe and that they can trust the people around them.
• To learn that it is okay to feel anger and that there a ‘good’ ways of dealing with their anger.
• To learn to feel comfortable with themselves.
• To know that it’s okay to be angry with their moms even though the violence is not their mom’s fault.
• To know that it’s okay to love their dads, even though they hate his violence behaviour.
• To be listened to and helped to learn ways to protect themselves.

In planning ways to help children, shelter workers could consider a number of questions:

What can the shelter do to meet these needs?

What programs, rules and routines will help children recover?

What will be the reaction of the children to these programs, rules and routines?

How can shelter workers help mothers with their children?

What services can be put in place to help children if they return to a violent home? Or if their mother decides to live without the abusive father or partner?