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At The Lighthouse we know that any form of sexual abuse can affect children and young people in all kinds of ways. It can make them feel upset, confused or angry. But with the right support children and young people can recover.

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What is The Lighthouse?

The Lighthouse is a safe space to report abuse, offer support to help your child recover, and seek the justice they deserve. It will help you and your child to understand and make sense of your experiences. As a parent or carer we understand this is a distressing time and you may be feeling powerless to help. But you have an important role in helping your child overcome the effects of sexual abuse and our experienced support workers will be there to guide your family through your journey.

What happens at The Lighthouse?

At The Lighthouse we want to make sure your child recovers from the upset that sexual abuse can cause. We focus on getting the right help at the right time, helping to equip you to support your child every step of the way.

  • Meeting your child’s advocate

    You will meet one of our support workers – your child’s advocate – who will guide you both through your Lighthouse journey. They will help you and your child to access and understand the medical care, mental health support and police and social worker help that is available.

  • Getting important medical support

    A play specialist can help your child prepare for the medical assessments, offered by the paediatrician and supported by a nurse. Your child can choose who they would like in the room during the examination.

  • Gathering crucial evidence

    When your child is ready to speak about what happened, an interview is conducted and led by a clinical psychologist, with support from a police officer. Having a specialist child psychologist carry out the interview, helps to reduce re-traumatisation and gather the best evidence, by putting your child’s emotional needs first.

  • Emotional health and wellbeing

    Children and young people have told us that talking to someone they trust can help them feel better. At The Lighthouse your child will speak with a therapist who specialises in supporting children and young people who’ve experienced sexual abuse. The therapist will get to know them, listen to them and be there for your child every step of the way. We make sure all this support is in one familiar, child-friendly place, The Lighthouse.

  • Experiences of Parent/Carers

    Click below to listen to Experiences of Parents/Carers

     

Explore The Lighthouse

Everyone deserves to be safe and happy

If you have experienced trauma, particularly from rape or sexual abuse, we won't judge and we are here to help.

Call 0808 169 8112

Support for families

What is sexual abuse?

A child is sexually abused when they are forced or persuaded to take part in sexual activities.

This doesn’t have to be physical contact and it can happen online. Sometimes the child won’t understand that what’s happening to them is abuse.

They may not even understand that it’s wrong. Or they may be afraid to speak out.

Find out more

Signs, indicators and effects

You may notice your child avoids being alone with certain people or she or he is showing sexual behaviour that’s inappropriate for his or her age. Your child may also have physical symptoms of sexual abuse.

Find out more

Preventing sexual abuse

Talk PANTS is a simple way to teach your child how to stay safe from abuse. Find out more.

You can talk to your child about healthy relationships and consent.

We know that children can be vulnerable to sexual abuse and inappropriate content in the online world. There are tools we can use to keep online spaces safe for children and young people

Find out more

Resources

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Download and links

Find out more about sexual abuse

Find out more