Responding to Child Abuse and Vicarious Trauma. Self Care!

R eporting child abuse is an emotional and often traumatic experience for caring adults. It can cause vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout.

This week we will provide resources to care for yourself , so you can care for the children in your lives.
What is Vicarious Trauma?
"Trauma exposure response is the transformation that takes place within us as a result of exposure to the suffering of other living beings..."

Watch Laura van Dernoot Lipsky's TedTalk and learn how critical it is to care for your self. Watch Now
Self Care Resources
Trauma may occur when you experience…events that occur without warning, that you were not prepared to deal with, that left you feeling powerless or remorseful without ready resolution. Responding to child abuse often encompasses all these factors. Receiving disclosures from children or suspecting child abuse can bring up trauma from your own life. Self-reflect and if you see warning signs of trauma exposure, you are not alone! Here are some helpful resources:

Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project

Alive and Well Communities

National Child Traumatic Stress Network


Make a Plan to Care for Yourself!
“A daily practice through which individuals… tend to trauma experienced by others. By developing a deep sense of awareness needed to care for ourselves while caring for others, we can greatly enhance our potential to work for change, ethically and with integrity, fo generations to come…”
~Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

Daily self-care maintenance should cover all areas of life: physical, emotional and psychological. Check out this Self Care Starter Kit from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work to help you create your plan.

Take these important steps this week to be #Essential4Kids:

  • Learn more about effectively reporting child abuse and how the investigation process works by taking the free online training at https://protectmokids.com/

  • Follow Missouri KidsFirst on Facebook, and Twitter to get up to date resources and learn more about taking steps each day during this difficult time to protect the children in your life.


*Report Child Abuse/Neglect to the Missouri Hotline 1-800-392-3738*



To learn more, visit: www.missourikidsfirst.org

Thank you for being #Essential4Kids!