The Thirteen Steps

STEP 1: DISCLOSURE

Disclosures come from many sources, some accidental and some intentional. They may come from a victim, a family member, a spouse, a community member who witnesses an abuse, or even the offender him/herself.

It is important that all members of the Resource Group be available to the community for disclosures. The person who receives a disclosure regarding the victimization of a child has three (3) primary responsibilities:

1. To get as much information as possible as to the FACTS of the allegation;
2. To continue as "natural" ally to the person who made the disclosure;
3. To pass the information to the Assessment Team Coordinator immediately (at present time Berma Bushie is performing this function)

Upon receiving this information, it is then the responsibility of the Coordinator to:

1. Contact the RCMP to
   1. Inform them of the disclosure
   2. Invite them to attend a meeting of the Assessment Team where the information received will be discussed and the subsequent intervention planned
2. Call a meeting of the Assessment Team to:
   1. Discuss the disclosure
   2. Complete an assessment/history of the individuals and families involved
   3. Plan the actual intervention that will follow. This plan will identify specifically who is taking responsibility for what, when. The safety of all family/community members will be the primary factor to be taking into consideration in the details of the planned intervention
3. Ensure that all 13 steps of this process are followed in the proper sequence. (Steps 2 & 3 occur simultaneously, with priority given to step 2 - protecting the child).

STEP 3: CONFRONTING THE OFFENDER

Although the protection, support and healing of the victim takes priority, we believe that the major focus of dealing with sexual abuse needs to be shifted to include the victimizer, thereby also dealing with the source of the problem and beginning the process of restoring balance within the individuals, families and community involved.

The person(s) from the Assessment Team taking responsibility for assisting the victimizer should feel comfortable with the alleged offender and see him/herself as a potential ally to the offender. It is also important that this person has already begun their own healing process.

The person (confronter) using whatever Re3source Group members necessary, must:

1. Approach the alleged offender and confront him/her with the information gained in the disclosure;
2. Explain that the victim has been removed and will be staying in a safe home until the community can resolve the situation. (the other option, if the alleged offender is willing, would be to "remove" the offender to a safe home
3. Explain that there is a good possibility depending upon:
   1. The severity of the offence(s) and
   2. His/her willingness to cooperate that the matter could be handled by the community, in conjunction with the court system
4. Make it clear that any attempt at interference with either the process or the victim will result in the community assuming a secondary role and the matter being handled primarily by the court system
5. Ensure that an ally is available to the alleged offender. This ally will have to be extremely sensitive to the potential for suicide and/or violence toward others and offer non-threatening and non-judgmental support, without reinforcing the alleged offender's denial system.
6. Inform the alleged victimizer that it will be necessary for him/her to:
   1. Accept fully responsibility for what has happened
   2. Undergo a psychological assessment if he/she is going to choose the Community Alternative.
7. Tell the alleged victimizer that he/she will be contacted within five (5) days to:
   1. What the community concludes after completing its assessment
   2. What the community can offer in terms of dealing with the offence(s) in a traditional healing manner.
8. Make whatever arrangements are necessary for the victimizer e.g.: psychological assessment, admission to victimizers group, Self-Awareness Training, etc.

STEP 5: ASSISTING THE FAMILY/IES/THE COMMUNITY

In some cases the family of the victim, victimizer will be one and the same. In most cases they will be from the same community. In all cases the pain brought about by a disclosure will have a rippling effect throughout the community and many people, in both immediate and extended family/ies will be affected.

The person(s) from the assessment team taking responsibility for assisting the family/ies using whatever Resource Group members necessary, must:

1. Approach appropriate members of the immediate and extended family/ies and present the information learned in the disclosure.
2. Explain what has happened thus far.
3. Explain the possibility of the matter being handled by the community, in conjunction with the court system.
4. Ensure that an ally is available for all members requiring this kind of support.
5. Make whatever arrangements are necessary for the family members, e..g. admission to Survivors' Group, Women's Therapy, Self-Awareness, etc.

STEP 7: OFFENDER MUST ADMIT & ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

The person(s) from the assessment Team taking responsibility for assisting the victimizer, using whatever resources necessary, approaches the offender and;

1. Informs him/her of the outcome of the investigation
2. Explains the 2 primary alternatives available (community/legal, legal/community)
3. 3. Explain to the offender that in order to restore his/her own balance and begin his/her healing process he/she must admit to the offence(s) and accept full responsibility for his/her actions. To this end the offender must;
   1. Provide a voluntary statement (cautioned statement) to the RCMP outlining specifically his/her total involvement with victim(s). This statement will be made with full knowledge on the part of the offender that if:
      1. The Assessment Team becomes aware of any victim(s) or information not included in the statement
      2. The offender refuses to comply with the Community Alternative procedure at any point
      3. There is any reoccurrence of the offence the court system will immediately be asked to assume the primary role
   2. Undergo a psychological assessment and agree to releasing the information obtained in this assessment to the Assessment Team.
4. Present the Healing Contract
5. Inform the offender that he/she has to:
   1. Make a decision as to which primary alternative will be pursued
   2. Inform the Assessment Team of this decision within 2 days. Failure to comply with the above would result in the court system assuming the primary role.

STEP 9: PREPARATION OF THE VICTIM(S)

As with the offender the victim(s) must be prepared for the next step in the healing process, the appearance of the offender before him/her/themselves, selected member of his/her/their family(ies) and the Resource Group.

The victim(s) must be prepared to the point where he/she/they are at least willing to TRY to forgive the offender for what has happened.

This preparation would be completed by the person(s) from the Assessment Team who has taken responsibility for assisting the victim(s) again using whatever resources are appropriate and would include:

1. An explanation of what will happen
2. What will be expected of him/her/them

STEP 11: THE SPECIAL GATHERING

Once the offender, victim(s) and selected family members have been prepared, the Coordinator will arrange for the offender to come face-to-face with:

1. The Resource Group, who represent the (healing) community
2. The victim(s)
3. Selected members of the family/ies to answer for his/her misconduct

The gathering will occur at a time and place agreed upon by all involved and the seating arrangement will take the form of a circle.

THE SPECIAL CATHERING HAS 10 STEPS:

1. The ceremonial opening. This marks the gathering as an event of importance. Preference as to the exact nature of the opening will be given to the offender/victim(s) but could include a song, prayer or some form of religious or traditional ceremony.
2. The Coordinator will address the gathering and explain its purpose as follows:
   1. To hear the details of the offence
   2. To speak publicly to the offender about the offence
   3. To look at ways of dealing with the offence that will heal all persons involved and reunite the community
   4. To demonstrate that such behaviour is unacceptable but that healing is possible and supported
   5. To learn something about sexual abuse in general through an educational process
   6. To have all people accept responsibility for supervising the Healing Contract
3. The explanation of the offence. The Assessment Team members will then explain the offence.
4. The Assessment Team members will then explain the offence. The Coordinator then asks the offender if he/she:
   1. Accepts the charges as true
   2. Is willing to participate in the proceedings. If the offender rejects either or both conditions, the Coordinator explains that the gathering must be brought to a close and that the court system will be asked to assume the primary role. If the offender accepts both conditions, the gathering can continue. It is the community's responsibility to support the action of the Coordinator based on the offender's decision.
5. THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS:
   This part sets the stage for the rest of the proceedings. It helps to educate all the people present about the seriousness and dynamics of the offence. It sets the emotional stage necessary for change in attitudes to occur. It is, in effect, a mini-workshop and can include lectures, videos and hand-outs. "Something About Amelia", a video which runs through the dynamics involved in sexual abuse and ends with the reuniting and healing of all family members will most likely be used.
6. The offender verbally accepts full responsibility for his/her action. Now that all present have a better idea of what it is, they are dealing with, the offender is asked by the Coordinator to accept full responsibility for the offence, without rationalization justification or reservation. Again, if the offender fully accepts the responsibility for the offence, the gathering can continue. It not, it is turned over to the court system as the primary agent.

   (If a break is necessary, this would be a good time. It will give people time to think about what they have learned and to gather their thoughts about what they would like to say to the offender)

7. THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE GATHERING SPEAK:
   This is the heart of the traditional healing process and allows the Community to show its concern for all involved. Here the people have a chance to speak openly to:

   When appropriate and the offender, spouse and victim(s) are willing, the idea of the family reuniting in the future (after the healing process has taken enough to ensure that such behavior will not be repeated) is encouraged and supported.

   Members of the group are free, if they feel that it will help in the healing process to relate their own experiences in the past of being abused or being an abuser, and the problems that occurred as a result.

   1. The offender, telling him/her how they feel about the offence, encouraging him/her to accept full responsibility and offering their support for his/her healing
   2. The spouse, about his/her responsibility in helping in the healing process or perhaps talking to him/her about their part in the abusive situation if it is appropriate
   3. The victim(s) relieving them of any guilt they may feel, reassuring them that they are not responsible for the offence and offering support.
8. HEALING CONTRACT PRESENTED
   At this point the Coordinator will present the Healing Contract developed in Step 6 to the whole group for their:
   1. Comments and feedback
   2. Support
   3. Eventual supervision

   The Healing Contract will contain/address 3 general areas:

   1. Some degree of punishment, but the result must enhance the community as well as the offender's self-esteem. This would likely take the form of the community service work
   2. Protection against further victimization. This would likely take form of restricted access to potential victims for a specified period of time.
   3. Treatment. This would likely take the form of individual counselling, attendance at support groups, etc.

   If the participants of the gathering, through consensus, recommend changes in the Healing Contract, it would be the responsibility of the Coordinator to contact the RCMP and Crown with the recommendations for their approval before the changes are accepted.

   In the future, after the community has progressed its own healing, we anticipate that the Healing Contract will actually be drawn up by the participants at the gathering rather than by the Assessment Team/RCMP/Crown. It would then be the responsibility of the Coordinator to contact the RCMP and Crown with the proposed Healing Contract for approval.

9. The offender publicly apologizes and accepts the Healing Contract.
   At the request of the Coordinator, the offender is now asked to:

   1. Publicly apologize to:
      1. The victim(s), accepting full responsibility for what has happened and reassuring the victim(s) that it will not happen again
      2. The spouse
      3. The group-at-large
   2. Will publicly agree to abide by the conditions of the Healing Contract
   3. State that he/she understands that any failure to comply with the conditions will result immediately in the court system being asked to assume the primary role.
10. THE CEREMONIAL CLOSURE
    This again marks the gathering as an event of importance. Preference as to the actual content of the ceremony will be giving to the offender/victim(s).