Hint of the Month and News Update - August, 2007
Past Hints
 
Handling Abuse Issues – An Update

During Training Days the question often arises as to what might be the legal requirements associated with Administrators gaining knowledge of the occurrence of abuse in the family of origin as a consequence of working with the Prepare-Enrich materials. Should it be reported? We think it important to note three issues:

(1) PREPARE Administrators should remember that the items dealing with abuse within the family of origin are all of a very general and subjective nature: Example: "Were you ever abused (verbally, emotionally, physically, or sexually) by your parents?" Hence, a person's response can never be taken to be indicative of a highly specific form of abuse. Nor is it clear as to whether one or both parents were involved and when. Responses simply do not provide sufficient information about the nature of the abuse to form the basis for mandatory reporting of present or future forms of criminal activity.

(2) Furthermore, persons completing one of PREPARE-ENRICH inventories are not at risk children. They are adults who are providing self-report descriptions of their past experience of family. Even if discussion of item responses provides a more detailed and specific account of past abuse, since the person is not an at risk child, it is unlikely that any State or Territory act requiring mandatory reporting of abuse would be relevant here. What is important is that the responses provide an opportunity to work carefully and sensitively with the impact that these perceptions might have for a couple's present and future relationship. If a person decides that they need to do some personal work on these issues and maybe explore the possibility of taking legal action it is important to refer the person (or couple) to an appropriate professional since it is no longer a matter for relationship counselling or education.  

(3) However, if what is revealed in the feedback sessions appears to involve a perpetrator who is continuing their activities and minors are currently at risk, this may constitute a mandatory report situation.  This situation should be clarified and followed up using the principles and procedures defined within the framework of the Administrator’s particular professional context – that is, follow the agency or denominational processes, recommendations and requirements under which you are employed.  
 
 Past Hints  Last Month : Don't lose contact 
 
News Update:  

    The June 2007 issue of the Newsletter, the Prepare Diary, is available on this web site: To read, click on: June 2007 Diary    The next newsletter will be posted in mid-June. 

    PROCESSING FEE NOW $44.00  
    This is the first increase in the base cost of processing since 1999.  Our aim is to maintain the new processing charge for a lengthy period of time (as we have done before). We always aimed to make the processing cost comparable to that of a modest meal for a couple – we feel sure that $44 (for a couple) is still well and truly within those limits.