In more than 70% of child sexual abuse cases, a child or teenager is harmed by another juvenile. The average age of first time sexual violence perpetration is between 15 and 16 years old.
Unfortunately, many young people don’t realize that something is wrong until after they’ve harmed a friend, sibling or younger child. Our WhatsOK helpline is the only resource of its kind, specifically offering young people a place to ask tough questions and get help even if they’ve harmed someone.
When a young person tells us that they’ve messed up – be it crossing a boundary or sexually abusing – our expert counselors help by:
- Affirming their courage in asking for help
- Holding them accountable
- Explaining consent and its limits
- Suggesting ways to validate those they’ve harmed
- Getting them resources and support
- Offering hope that change is possible