REDRESS - HELPING SURVIVORS OF INSTITUTIONAL CHILD ABUSE

Survivors of Institutional Child Abuse can apply to the National Redress Scheme. Part of the response to them is the offer of a DPR - a Direct Personal Response. What is a direct personal response?

In a direct personal response, the survivor can tell their story to a representative of the institution and receive an apology and an explanation of what the institution is doing to stop anyone else from being abused in the future.

A direct personal response can be done in a variety of ways, such as:

  •  a face-to-face meeting between the survivor and a representative of the institution

  •  a written letter from the institution, or

  •  other arrangements, depending on the survivior’s circumstances.

It is important for them to decide whether a direct personal response is right for them. It could be helpful to speak to a support person, such as a friend, family member, counsellor, or Redress Support Service to help them make this decision. A facilitator is engaged to assist in the process of convening the meeting between the survivor and their support people with the representive/s of the organisation that committed the abuse. The facilitators role includes meeting with all the parties first as an intake preparation, then later convening the conference and following up later with a check in to see how the parties have responded.

For some survivors, a direct personal response may be the most meaningful part of the redress experience, and have the longest lasting positive impact.

They found that survivors wished to;

  • speak to their experiences in a safe environment

  • be heard, understood and believed

  • have the abuse and its impacts acknowledged

  • have the institution accept responsibility, provide a genuine apology, and then a clear account of measures to prevent abuse recurring and arrangements for responding more effectively to any future reports of abuse.

for a FREE diagnostic to determine if redress is available for you please click this link.

If you wish to engage the services of Mediate-Me to Facilitate a DPR please call 0412 118750.

Craig AndersonComment