How to Help a Friend Workshops: Handling Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse The Disclosure Training Workshop is a one-day training to equip young women with information and skills to respond appropriately to any disclosure of incest/CSA made to them by friends or peers. These workshops are meant for those who may not have the time for the PEP but nevertheless want to engage with the cause.

Responding to disclosures is a particularly sensitive area and a crucial component of any prevention or intervention work in the area of incest/CSA. When disclosure happens, those receiving such information have an opportunity to provide supportive statements and referral information designed to help survivors heal. These responses in turn may help prevent individuals from being re-victimised. This is important, because the impact on lives of survivors can be devastating if disclosures are not handled compassionately.

This training workshop provides participants with basic information on the issue of incest/CSA, how disclosure takes place, what it takes for a survivor to disclose, what happens when survivors are believed and not believed, how disclosure impacts the listener and the inherent feelings, biases and prejudices that come into play when disclosure happens. It will build basic listening skills and focus on the dos and don’ts of handling disclosure. The workshop is both informational and experiential and includes exercises, games and role-plays.