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‘Keeping the informal safe’: Strategies for developing peer support initiatives for young people who have experienced sexual violence
Author(s) -
Cody Claire,
Bovarnick Silvie,
Peace Delphine,
Warrington Camille
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
children and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.538
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-0860
pISSN - 0951-0605
DOI - 10.1111/chso.12555
Subject(s) - peer support , sexual violence , peer education , peer group , psychology , social psychology , nursing , medicine , criminology , psychiatry , public health , health education
There is increasing recognition of the value of trauma‐informed approaches when working with young people affected by sexual violence. Peer support is a key principle of a trauma‐informed approach; however, there are limited examples of peer support programmes for this group. This paper draws on interviews with 25 respondents with knowledge and experience of peer support initiatives with young people impacted by sexual violence. The article outlines their perspectives on how peer support initiatives – that may be viewed as more ‘risky’ than traditional casework – can be kept ‘safe’. Six strategies are identified together with implications for practice.