Introduction

Home: Survivors: For Teenagers: Face values

Face values - making sense of violent relationships

Most kids have unpleasant experiences of some kind during their childhoods. It could be that your older brother or sister bosses you around, or forces you to do something you don't like. Your father or mother might hit you too hard when you do something wrong, or even if you don't do anything wrong at all. The kid next door might bully you or tease you. People you care about might tell you you're fat or stupid.

All these everyday occurrences can hurt, and most of us don't know how to respond when others treat us badly.

Face values aims to allow you to get a better understanding of what makes some people abuse others. It looks at the attitudes and values in society which lead to sexual, emotional and physical violation.

There aren't any right answers, or right ways of thinking about the issues raised. You'll need to do some thinking and draw your own conclusions from the ideas and suggestions presented.

The best way to sort out what you think and how you feel about these things is to discuss them with other people. So talk about it, in your class, with your friends, your teacher, your family. If you're being abused, these magazines will help you to stop it. If you're not, by reading this information, you'll be looking after yourself for the future.

The stories in this magazine are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the people involved. The girls and boys in the photographs are models and have not been sexually abused.

Sponsor

Department of Human Services

Disclaimer Copyright Updated: 13 Aug 2009