Why ‘Hope From Hurt’

Having worked in services that had great names and titles, but were maybe a bit obscure for the children and young people availing of them, I wanted mine to be a bit more accessible to my service users, but without using the terminology sexual abuse. Why? because children don’t always have or understand that language; because that terminology is traumatising to them, and it can be triggering. But they know they hurt. Hope from Hurt might be the first time they have thought that there is a hope that they’re not always going to feel like this, that there is a possibility that they will feel better and the hope of less pain in the future. It also doesn’t give unrealistic expectations, I don’t have a magic wand, I can’t change or erase their abuse, but I can help them and give them tools to change the impact their abuse has on them. So on my leaflet, (designed by my so talented daughter who got what I was trying to convey), the emojis show the here and now. While it is bright and colourful, it also has a very clear message, and the children get it. They identify with it. They see how it reflects the hurt, pain and overwhelming emotions that they try to hide behind a smile and a pretence that everything is ok. They have a visual for how they are feeling, and that can be the first step: someone understands, someone knows how I’m feeling and someone can help me. They have hope.