Experiences of abuse and family violence rock children to their very core. They do anything to survive, not because they want to but because they need to. They shut down their feelings. They push away memories of pain. They stop relying on relationships around them to protect them. They stop trusting and believing in others. Even after the stressful or traumatic situation has passed, children’s brains and bodies continue to react as if the stress is continuing. They become self-protective.

There are so many different consequences of trauma on children and young people. And yet, they are not well understood. These children are often labelled as disruptive, defiant and challenging.

But abused children need us to never give up on them. At the Foundation, we work to help carers and professionals who look after and work with traumatised children make sense of the impact of the abuse. We have led the way in Australia in translating years of scientific research and knowledge into training and resources that informs, inspires and empowers the adults in their lives to know how respond to these children so that they come to re-experience love as safe, consistent and nurturing.