A young person who has suffered sexual violence has to wait a year and a half before receiving special therapeutic services from the Marie Vincent Foundation (FMV).
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“The delay is huge! However, the family is not on their own during this waiting period. Once the request for services is received, immediate intervention will be offered to parents to help them process the shock of their child’s disclosure and enable them to better support them during the delay,” said Anne-Charlotte Given Héroux, mental health worker with families at the Marie Vincent Foundation, at the microphone of Guillaume Lavoie, at QUB Radio.
The latter mentions that the six-year-old girl attacked by her grandfather is unfortunately not an isolated case. “The more we talk about it, the more young people can recognize and disclose the aggression they have experienced. It’s less taboo than it used to be. That’s why we have more requests, people will talk more about it.”
Regarding the treatments offered in FMV, a doctor will conduct an individual needs assessment as the intervention is tailored to each child. “We can work on its functioning and symptoms or go as far as therapy by going further back into its infancy,” he adds, adding that the body also works to identify emotions and thoughts.
Last year, the group accompanied 315 young people for an average of 10 weeks. In addition, 383 services for parents and children were offered. Remember that the Marie Vincent Foundation offers psychosocial and psychotherapeutic services for children and families. Generally, children are referred by network staff after the sexual assault has been exposed.
Finally, Ms Givern Héroux advises people who are aware of a case of sexual violence to contact the youth protection service or the police. “They will take steps to ensure the child is safe both physically and mentally.”