Sexual Abuse | Healing with Books

"Mia is little and feeling utterly powerless. She has promised to keep a secret, but now this secret feels wrong. And now that she has played the secret game, she is frightened — frightened that “he” will be angry if she tells, frightened that no one will understand. Only her stuffed bear, Tikki, has seen everything and knows how much this secret hurts.He comes again and again. Mia tries to stop him, but now he’s angry with her. If only she hadn’t made the promise. Then, Mia has an idea. Tikki has promised nothing. Maybe Tikki can speak to her mother and stop the hurt at last.For children caught in abuse, there often seems to be no way out. Mia’s Secret offers a way and helps children see that even “trusted” adults are wrong to involve them in anything they cannot share with others. Written in clear, concise language and endorsed by The Gatehouse, Mia’s Secret is a reassuring read for the one in four children who eventually experience sexual abuse. And it’s an ounce of prevention for any child who might not otherwise recognize the signs that signal danger" (Ledwon, 2006).

- Ages 4-8

Figure 302
Where it ends Book Cover

Note. Source: [Where it ends Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun…
10:00 a.m.: The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.
10:02 a.m.: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.
10:03: The auditorium doors won't open.
10:05: Someone starts shooting.
In 54 minutes, four students must confront their greatest hopes, and darkest fears, as they come face-to-face with the boy with the gun" (Nijkamp, 2016).

- Ages 14-18
- Contains Suicide, Sexual Assault, Homophobia and Abuse.
- Client should be very prepared as the content of this book is intense.
- Main Character Autumn is a Lesbian and is white. Main Character Sylv is Queer and Lantix.

"Precious Jones, an illiterate sixteen-year-old, has up until now been invisible: invisible to the father who rapes her and the mother who batters her and to the authorities who dismiss her as just one more of Harlem's casualties. But when Precious, pregnant with a second child by her father, meets a determined and highly radical teacher, we follow her on a journey of education and enlightenment as Precious learns not only how to write about her life, but how to make it her own for the first time" (Sapphire, 1996).

- Age 15+
- Talks about Disability and Sexual Abuse.
- Black Main Character
- First book in the "Precious" Series.
- Activity Idea) As you read the book have your client write in a journal.

Figure 303
Push Book Cover

Note. Source: [Push Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Jewel is on the run from an abusive home situation and furtively living at school. After Maya discovers her classmate’s secret, should she tell? Or can she help Jewel on her own? Thirteen-year-old Jewel has been holding her life together ever since her older sister, Charmaine, suddenly left home with no forwarding address. She tried to find Charmaine once, but that only brought her family to the attention of the police. Now Jewel keeps her head down at school, looks after her special-needs brother as well as she can, and tries to steer clear of her parents and their shady friends. When her father’s friend comes into her bedroom one night, Jewel finally understands why Charmaine had to leave home. Soon she is on the run herself. When her food runs out, Jewel chances upon a new place to live ― the cupboard of the art room at school. It turns out to be surprisingly easy to live under the radar when you have perfected the art of being almost invisible. That is, until Jewel’s classmates, Maya and Lily, discover her washing her hair in the girls’ washroom at school and making breakfast in the lunchroom. They take her on as their project, finding her places to sleep, fixing her hair and wardrobe ― even as they can’t quite understand her terror, or why she is so afraid of seeking adult help. But the girls help keep Jewel and her secret safe ― until they no longer can" (Garvie, 2018).

- Ages 11+
- Talks about Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Disability.
- Disabled Brother.

Figure 304
Almost Invisible Book Cover

Note. Source: [Almost Invisible Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"After escaping a playground predator, a little girl learns to understand what happened and how to carry herself with pride and conviction after five older women organize a "Courage Party" for her and share stories from their own lives. Interactions with police, pediatricians, prosecutors, victim advocates, a community rape crisis center and courthouse are depicted as young Danielle learns she is more than a survivor. She is a "crime fighter," powered by her own truthfulness and courage, able to protect other kids in the park, with many good grownups on her side" (Brabner, 2020).

- Ages 15-18
- Talks about Sexual Assault

Figure 305
Courage Party Book Cover

Note. Source: [Courage Party Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

Figure 306
Shout Book Cover

Note. Source: [Shout Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and advocates for, survivors of sexual assault. Now, inspired by her fans and enraged by how little in our culture has changed since her groundbreaking novel Speak was first published twenty years ago, she has written a poetry memoir that is as vulnerable as it is rallying, as timely as it is timeless. In free verse, Anderson shares reflections, rants, and calls to action woven between deeply personal stories from her life that she's never written about before. Searing and soul-searching, this important memoir is a denouncement of our society's failures and a love letter to all the people with the courage to say #metoo and #timesup, whether aloud, online, or only in their own hearts. SHOUT speaks truth to power in a loud, clear voice—and once you hear it, it is impossible to ignore" (GoodReads, 2020).

- Ages 14-18
- Talks about Sexual Assault

"One day after school, on the couch in the basement, Tori's uncle did something bad. Afterward, Tori tells her mom. Even though telling was a brave thing to do, her mom still doesn't believe her at first. Her grandma still takes his side. And Tori doesn't want anyone else—even her best friend—to know what happened.

Now Tori finds herself battling mixed emotions—anger, shame, and sadness—as she deals with the trauma. But with the help of her mom, her little sister, her best friend, and others, can Tori find a way to have the last word" (Solter, 2021).

- Ages 8-12
- Talk about Sexual Assault
- Workbook available for ages 6-12

Figure 307
When you know I know Book Cover

Note. Source:[When you know what I know, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

Figure 137
It happened to me Book Cover

Note. Source:[ It happened to me Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Whether sexual abuse happens in early childhood or just before leaving home, most trauma survivors find that the teenage and early adult years are crucial for their recovery. With the right kind of support, it's then that they have the motivation and capacity for insight that will let them begin the process of healing. This workbook is written for teens and those who treat them. Simple, effective exercises help teens learn about the different aspects of trauma, share the thoughts and emotions of other survivors, clarify their own ideas and beliefs, and explore new ways of feeling and relating. Author William Lee Carter is a psychologist who works with sexually abused teens on a daily basis, and his approach is positive and sensitive to the needs and feelings of this age group. The exercises he provides focus on giving teens the strength and confidence they need to reshape their self-image, connect with others in healthy ways, and develop the skills they need to realize their full potential" (Carter, 2002).

- Ages 13-17
-Talks about Sexual Assault.

"How Long Does It Hurt? is the revised and updated edition of the best-selling book written by an incest survivor for future survivors. This step-by-step guide speaks directly to victims of sexual abuse to help them come to grips with what is happening to them and overcome their feelings of isolation, confusion, and self-doubt" (Mather, 1994).

- Ages 13-18
- Talks about Sexual Assault and Incest.

Figure 138
How long does it hurt Book Cover

Note.Source:[How long does it hurt Book Cover, n.d], Retrieved from GoodReads.

Figure 139
Please Tell Book Cover

Note. Source:[Please Tell Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Written and illustrated by a young girl who was sexually molested by a family member, this book reaches out to other children in a way that no adult can, Jessie's words carry the message, "It's o.k. to tell; help can come when you tell."This book is an excellent tool for therapists, counselors, child protection workers, teachers, and parents dealing with children affected by sexual abuse.Jessie's story adds a sense of hope for what should be, and the knowledge that the child protection system can work for children. Simple, direct, and from the heart, Jessie gives children the permission and the courage to deal with sexual abuse" (GoodReads, n.d).

- Ages 3-7
- Talks about Sexual Abuse

"A young girl describes what it’s like when her mom’s new friend comes to stay ― a moving story about domestic violence that ends on a hopeful note. The young girl tells us that her mom’s new friend is just like the big bad wolf. At first the wolf is sweet and kind to her mom, though the girl notices the wolf’s cold eyes from the very beginning. When her mom arrives home late one day, the wolf suddenly hurls angry words and terrible names at her. From that day on her mother doesn’t smile anymore. The girl is careful to clean her room and brush her teeth and do everything to keep the peace, but the wolf is unpredictable, throwing plates on the floor, yelling at her mother and holding the girl’s arm so tightly she is left with bruises. Whenever the yelling begins, she hides under the covers in her room. How will she and her mom cope as the wolf becomes increasingly fierce?" (Fontaine, 2020).

- Ages 4-8
- Talks about Sexual Assault

Figure 140
Big Bad Wolf Book Cover

Note. Source:[Big Bad Wolf Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

Figure 141
I can't talk about it Book Cover

Note. Source:[ I can't talk about it Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"At her grandmother's beach cottage, Annie reveals her father's sexual abuse of her to a dove who helps her heal and learn to trust again. Lists guidelines for adults to help sexually abused children" (Sanford, 1986).

- Ages 7-9
- Talks about Sexual Assault
- Workbook available for ages 6-12

Workbook

Figure 142
Speak Book Cover

Note. Source:[Speak Book Cover, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself" (Anderson, 1999).

-Age 12-18

- Main Character is Mute.

- Talks about Self Harm, and Sexual Assault.

- Workbook for self-harm available, ages 13-18.

Workbook

Figure 143
Wallflower Book Cover

Note. Source:[Wallflower, n.d]. Retrieved from GoodReads.

"This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite" (Chbosky, 1999).

-Ages 14-18
- Talks about Sexual Assault, Suicide, Domestic Violence, and Assualt.