Sensitive and Inclusive Practice
We asked what might stop you from keeping sexual health on the agenda in your conversations with young people. Your key worry was that you might re-traumatise those who had experienced abuse, especially sexual abuse.
How do we balance this legitimate concern with a young person’s need to have a reliable adult to talk to about healthy sex and relationships?
Some communities have experienced significant trauma – through discrimination, racism and ableism. It’s these children and young people that are over-represented in our OOHC system. We have sought the advice of experts on supporting young people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, young people with intellectual disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ young people.
This advice is not designed to treat symptoms but to more safely and inclusively initiate conversations.
Resources
- Podcast - SHV Doing It: Trauma Informed Practice
- Resources: CREATE Tools and Resources
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Trauma Readings
We highly recommend the following readings:
- Clinical practice in early psychosis: Promoting sexual health (2016) Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
- Mythbuster: Trauma and mental health in young people (2018) Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health.
- Playsafe Pro. Fact sheet: Trauma-informed care NSW Ministry of Health
- Sexual Health of Foster Youth: Needs Assessment Findings (2019) Faulkner, M., Borcyk, A., Sevillano, L., Doerge, K., Nulu, S., & Wasim, A., Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin.
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Video - Am I safe and do you like me?
A trauma informed approach to sexuality education.
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Video - First Nations
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Video - Intellectual Disabilities
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Video - LGBTQIA+
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Video - What if a child is triggered?
- Website: VACCHO Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Social and Emotional Wellbeing