This is the 2nd part of the slideshow from the workshop "From Maltreatment to Well-Being" 2007

6. the worst thing you can do when others have experienced a Critical Incident, is to criticize others before they are emotionally debriefed. The second worst thing is not to facilitate some form of psychological debriefing.

7. Do's and Don'ts of Dealing with Disclosures Do: 1. let the person know that you have heard them 2. reassure the person that s/he has done nothing wrong 3. take your time listening to the person 4. use the person's words 5. briefly find out who, what and when so that the risk can be assessed (e.g. does the alleged offender have current access to the person) 6. find out what the person wants to happen 7. deal with unrealistic expectations 8. explain that you may have to report to your supervisor, to CAS (if a youth under 16) and/or to police. This is a legal and ethical responsibility.

8. Do's and Don'ts of Dealing with Disclosures Don't: 1. react with horror, alarm, or disgust as this may be misinterpreted by the person as directed toward them 2. criticize the alleged offender; the person may still care for them or have conflicting feelings about them 3. tell the person you won't tell anyone or will keep it a secret 4. ever ask a person why s/he let it happen to them 5. ask leading questions 6. put words in the person's mouth 7. make promises you can't keep 8. attempt to assess the truth of the report by yourself