Boneless. Limit 3 steaks. 6.57/ kg TOP SIRLOIN STEAK yh price 1. A9|b / 3.29 . 2.62/kg “9 PROFILE WEDNESDAY, May 13, 1992 Works out to 2.64 ea. 1.94/kg Regular Quality. 3 Ib. chub. Limit 1. (Over limit price .99 Ib/ 2.18 kg - 2.97 ea.) 88 Bone-in. Full cut. Canada Grade A Beef. 3.38/kg CHUCK STEAKS Approx. 5 lb. bag 1.94/ kg Snow Star. Assorted Flavours. 4 Litre Pail. Fletchers. Regular or B.B.Q. 2.16/kg Tabemsed paees to dont wil doarg or Saturday, tA een es | Safeway store only. Quantity rights reserved HOT DOG & HAMBURGER BUNS Fresh baked. Dozen. ONIONS New Crop. No. 1 Grade. i B.B.Q. Ib For children who are the victims of sexual assault, seeing a counsellor can be comparable to seeing a dentist. Many counsellors who realize this, such as Kathy Dyck, will allow a child time to trust—which can be done through quiet times, reading, playing games or even painting—a release for children. The problem of child sexual assault is not new, and it knows no economic, racial, ethnic, religious or social background. Though only recently have children, who have been abused, felt comfortable in disclosing past or current incidents. After a disclosure is made, help is sought. However, because of overworked counsel- lors and few government dollars to fund programs such as the Sexual Abuse Intervention Program, which deals with people under 19, many cries for help, even in the West Kootenay, go unheard. child sits cross- legged in the centre of a small room. Determined not to be disturbed, his attention is focused on the small cardboard puzzle pieces which he methodi- cally fits together. A woman sits, in quiet thought, in the corner of the room. She faces the child, and with trained eyes focuses on him, wondering what moving pictures could be seen in his head. “Do you have secrets Daniel?” she asks in a soft and caring voice. The child shakes his head, never taking his stare from the floor where the jumbled puzzle pieces lay. She tries again. “Would you like to tell me your secrets Daniel?” The boy looks up, his mouth forms a small ‘oh’ as he prepares to relinquish something from deep inside. Then suddenly, he changes his mind, and again tums his attention to other things. “I'd like to paint now.” ee Daniel (not his real name) is a normal eight-year old child, but because he was the victim of a sexual assault not long ago, he needs help. Enter Kathy Dyck. The woman who is committed to helping chil- dren like Daniel find themselves again—amidst the hurt, anger, and the frustrating and confusing feelings that such a catastrophic incident or incidents can heavily burden on a child. Kathy offers counselling for children through the Sexual Abuse Intervention Program, based out of the Community Ser- vices office in Castlegar. The pro- gram was designed especially for young children and adolescents. She currently has a case-load of 22, above and beyond what her half-time position of 17.5 hours a week allows. But when you're the only special- ized counsellor in an area which includes Trail, Castle- gar, Nelson and Grand Forks—you learn to do what you can with whatever Tesources you are given. She is however, lucky in one way. Had Community Services not provided funding out of its own administration costs, coughing up what the govern- ment would not, her current half-time position would be a Mere quarter-time. By the provincial govern- ment's standings, according to the funding her position received, Kathy's quarter-time Position should be spent ser- vicing an area with over ten thousand children. Since Castlegar Community Ser- vices doubled her position, she is now able to see her clients every two weeks, or at least once a month, with each session lasting one hour. This shortage in government fund ing won't allow Kathy the Opportunity to give her clients what she believes they really need—more time. “Sometimes I feel like all Though Kathy is able to help the children who are referred I'm doing is applying ban to her, she admits they require more counselling than her dages,” Kathy said. “There are program funding will allow. so many people who need my FOR ELP Story & photos by Sharlene Imhoff Because every child is different and therefore reacts to sexual assault in their own way, counselling sessions with children are individualized. help, not just the child but the entire family. It's impossible to adequately help these people with the time I am allowed.” Some of the children who are referred to her, either through the RCMP, hospitals, Social Services or privately, require more coun- selling than others over a longer period of time—the average is three to six months Some children are more trau- matized than others, though Kathy feels this is not determined by the harshness of the abuse but rather, the span of abuse, and who is involved “I've seen everything. From regular fondling over a period of years, to violent one-time rapes It breaks your heart every time.” Boys and girls handle the situ- ation differently. Through her work, Kathy has found that boys who have been abused tend to display denial, anger and oppres sion, while girls become with- drawn though later might “act out” an aggressive promiscuity and often become sexually active at a young age. During sessions, which are very individualized, Kathy will use dolls, puppets, a a lot of anger. If they don’t get the help they need, the results are tragic.” The tragedies are many, and often the result is the troublemak- er in the school yard, the drug addicted teen, the adult with mul- sand box, or an easel and paints All of these, she says, help the child to display what they are feeling inside without having to actually speak, if they are not yet ready. “It's a good way for them to release their anxieties.” Speaking of anxieties, Kathy has her own—especially when she must coine to grips with the fact she can not help everyone due to her limitations, both finan cially and time-wise “Childhood sexual assault is a big problem in this area, and as in all other areas, it's getting bigger. There are a lot of children out there who are going through peri ods of self-blame, self-denial and tiple personalities, or as often is the case, the victim who eventu- ally becomes the offender. “The lid is just starting to come off the whole thing about sexual abuse. Children are speaking out, and they're wanting help. I think I'm making a difference, because I see positive results in these chil- dren.” Much more is needed, she fin- ishes, including mutual support and therapy groups, increased commiunity education and specif- ic support groups for the parents of séxually abused children. “Sexual abuse is a social prob- lem, and it isn’t going to go away over night.” oe