Wynona’s House is a special and safe place where children come to talk with adults who know how to help children who have problems, or kids who need to talk. If someone does something to you or makes you to do something to them that makes you feel uncomfortable, the people at Wynona’s House can help.
When you get here, you’ll be met by a nice lady by the name of Shanda who will help you feel comfortable. She sits in the playroom and keeps kids company. You’ll also get to talk with a special lady by the name of Arlin. Her job is to talk to kids about many different things. That’s why it’s important to always tell her the truth. Everyone wants you to feel OK and to be safe.
Sometimes kids who come to Wynona’s House find that it’s hard to talk about things that have happened and it might make you feel sad or angry or scared or something like that. Some kids have told us that they felt better after talking. But it usually won’t hurt your body to go to Wynona’s House.
Our doctors are specially trained to look at kids’ bodies to make sure they are OK, all over. They use a special piece of equipment called a colposcope (pronounced col-po-scope) which is a huge microscope and camera all in one. The colposcope helps the doctor see your body very closely. Don’t worry, it never touches your body, and you won’t feel it. The doctor may need to touch your body, though, but she’s a special doctor that’s there to help you so it’s OK. Doctors can also answer any questions you have about your body. And, they are really nice.
There are many different kinds of abuse, but the most important thing to remember is that YOU DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG! Sometimes bad things happen to really great kids, but just know that it doesn’t make you bad. You are still a wonderful person!
Physical abuse is when someone older and usually responsible for taking care of a child harms the younger person on purpose. It can be hitting, slapping, kicking, biting, burning, choking, and many other things. Physical abuse is something that causes harm and often leaves a mark on your body.
Sexual abuse is when someone touches the private areas on a child, or when they make a child touch their body.
You didn’t do anything wrong. The abuse is not your fault; it is the fault of the adult or older child that harmed you. You did the right thing in telling about the abuse. Sometimes telling about abuse makes family members or friends uncomfortable or even angry. That doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. It means that they are having a hard time with what is happening as a result of the abuser being found out for what they did. Sometimes it causes problems in families, like people having to move out, not having enough money, people being really sad, etc. But that doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. The abuser who touched you is the one who did something wrong.
The professionals who work at Wynona’s House understand that abuse is private. We all agree to keep information we learn about children private. We will not tell any of your friends or anyone at school. We will share our information with other professionals who work to help kids, so that we can help you and your family. It is your choice who you talk to about what happened to you. You may want to let your parents know that you’d like to decide who will know about this. Just remember, though, you have nothing to be ashamed of! It is OK to talk about what happened to you, but also important that you find people who help you feel safe, and who you can trust.
Wynona’s House is here to help children and families who have been affected by abuse. People who abuse children also need help. Our job is to do what we can to make sure this happens. We will work hard to do this, and we will gather information to help everyone. The only thing you have to do is to tell us the truth, that’s it! We don’t know exactly what will happen to him/her, but we’ll all work hard to make sure that you are treated well and the person who did this to you will have to own up to it, and get help for it. This may help keep other kids safe, too.
Sometimes that’s hard for kids because they love and care about the person who hurt them. Sometimes that person is the person in their life they most trust and love. These situations are the most hard on the children who tell. But you are still doing the right thing by telling. If you were touched in a way that made you feel uncomfortable, it wasn’t OK and you deserve to feel safe.
You don’t have to go to therapy, but it is something that can be really helpful, and we usually recommend it for most children who have been abused. Therapy is a time to talk with a special, kind adult who wants to help you get back to your best self after something bad happens. They will listen and support you as you talk, sometimes play games or do art with you. It can also be helpful to have them with you if you ever have to say really hard things to people you care about, like your family. We usually encourage you to give it a try before you decide not to do it, but ultimately it is your decision. If you decide not to go now, you can always come back in the future if things get tough. |
