Our Values
In line with our trauma-informed principles of 'Serious Joy', we have eight values that underpin everything we do.
01
Difficult topics, with Serious Joy.
So much of the messaging and communications around child sexual abuse is gloomy and unapproachable. But in reality, many of us survivors have found joy in finding each other, and use laughter to de-stigmatise the challenges of talking about child sexual abuse, making them easier to talk about. We recognise that we have many elements to our lives alongside our abuse, and these should be brought into the conversations.
02
Your experience is your expertise.
You can be an expert on Child Sexual Abuse for many reasons: you could be a lawyer supporting victims, a social worker, an academic, or someone who has experienced it yourself. You are an expert in what happened to you, what you need in terms of support, and how things should have been handled differently.
03
No proof needed.
You will not be asked to prove that you have experienced child sexual abuse by recalling things that have happened to you. Equally, if you are working with us and don’t want to disclose about your situation, we will not make any assumptions about whether or not your are a victim. You share what you want to.
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04
Not everyone is ready to come out and not everyone will.
This means being aware that when you are speaking to someone about your experiences, you might also be speaking to someone who also has lived experiences without even knowing. Similarly, if someone discloses to you, they have only disclosed this to you. We do not share anyone else’s experiences without their permission.
05
We don't judge or compare severity.
Any act of child sexual abuse is terrible. To compare severity of abuse, reactions or experiences is to put energy into questioning other people’s experiences, rather than focusing on the fact that someone had abused and violated your body and/or your trust.
06
Transparency about our funding, partners & decisions.
When building a community, we believe it is essential to be transparent about our funding and key decisions around our process. For more information on our funding, see Funding Transparency.
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07
Time Sensitivity.
People’s reactions to their abuser(s) change over time. So does their willingness to speak about what happened to them. We recognise that everyone is on a personal journey and that their attitudes might not be static.
08
Context specific.
A solution that works well for one community or person might not work well for another. While we have lots in common in our mission to challenge the stigma around child sexual abuse, support might look different depending on your identity and experiences.
