If you know a child whose been abused or neglected, chances are you’re itching to help. Unfortunately, most people go about this “helping” in all the wrong ways. They let their moral outrage dictate their response, leading to egocentric, anger-based reactions that harm children more than they heal.
More than any other issue, public responses to child abuse tend to be especially destructive toward the children they aim to protect. The information and resources herein will show you how to help children in all the right ways, so that you’re soothing rather than aggravating whatever wounds they may have sustained.
Information on Abuse Recovery for Children
See also…
*Helping traumatized children (in our Trauma & Recovery area)
Books & resources to help abused & neglected children
The following resources are specifically designed to help kids who’ve been abused or neglected:
Trampled Flowers AThis printable coloring book/workbook addresses the sense of inferiority and defectiveness that abused & neglected kids or those in foster care often feel. It helps children see their predicament as a product of happenstance, not something they invited upon themselves because they aren’t as loveable as other children.
Physical Abuse Coloring BookA
workbook/coloring book designed to help kids who’ve been physically abused.
Verbal Abuse Coloring Book
A workbook/coloring book that will help kids who’ve been verbally or emotionally abused.
Pain in Perspective
This printable workbook/coloring book uses principles of cognitive psychology to help kids put painful experiences into proper perspective, thereby diminishing the power they hold over them.
Universal Recovery Resources for Kids
We also have a number of general purpose resources that will help children work through difficult experiences of any kind. You can access these through the links below:
Books for adults who want to help abused & neglected children
These books will help anyone working with abused & neglected children:
Vulnerable Children (Coming Soon)
This is our essential guidebook for working with kids from compromised backgrounds. It addresses behavioral issues created by abuse and neglect, provides tips on how to comfort children who’ve been abused, abandoned, or otherwise mistreated, and features an assortment of therapeutic activities caregivers can do to help repair whatever wounds might have been created by a disadvantaged upbringing.
Child Trauma & Recovery
This book discusses all aspects of Childhood trauma, giving you a better understanding of what harms children, outlining common trauma symptoms, and explaining how children are impacted by adverse experiences. It includes sections on helping kids exposed to violence and guidelines for working through negative emotions. It also offers an assortment of therapeutic exercises that can be universally applied to just about any situation.
Sexual Abuse Recovery (Coming Soon)
Of all the forms of child maltreatment, sexual abuse is by far the most misunderstood, and this ignorance routinely harms children. This book walks you through the realities of this subject, helping you heal kids without creating lingering wounds.