Caring for Yourself After Sexual Violence

Grooming doesn't always involve sexual violence - one of the reasons that sexual grooming as a crime is so hard to find support for.

But a proportion of the reports we hear do, and we are committed to signposting support for the victims of groomers. And to that end, I am delighted to recommend to you this free resource from Victim Focus: Caring for Yourself After Sexual Violence.

It's a course available to anyone who has been subjected to sexual violence. It will support you as you explore how to care for yourself and process your own memories and feelings.

I've started working my way through it, and am already finding it useful for my personal set of circumstances. I have the greatest respect for course author Dr Jessica Eaton, and so although I've not done enough to thoroughly review the resource, I am happy to give an early 'heads up' that this invaluable resource exists.

The eight course modules are:

1. Reactions and responses to being subjected to sexual violence (during and after the abuse)

2. Understanding the grooming process that an abuser or offender may have targeted you with 

3. Exploring forgiveness and anger towards abusers and people who let you down 

4. Understanding your own trauma responses and their purpose 

5. Exploring lifelong processing of the trauma, feelings and memories 

6. Experiencing victim blaming and self-blame

7. Having sex and being intimate after sexual violence 

8. How to define and understand ourselves after sexual violence 

For further information and to access the course: https://www.victimfocus.com/free-caring-for-yourself-after-sexual-violence

Update, July 5. It has come to our attention that the course author, Jessica Taylor, sadly lacks a full understanding of grooming. We do not believe that this renders this course any less effective, and remain happy to recommend it, but will also be actively seeking courses and resources more understanding of grooming victims to recommend.

Contact CAAGe (The Campaign Against Adult Grooming): https://caageorg.wordpress.com/contact/