JOHN SAUNDERS
Helping Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Through Counselling, Education and Advocacy
ACTIVISM AND ADVOCACY PROJECTS
To be an activist is to speak.
To be an advocate is to listen.
Society can’t move forward without both.
CONNECTING WITH OTHER ADVOCATES
ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
John regularly joins online discussions with other advocates and survivors.
The Survivors' Trust, UK. March 2019
The Survivors' Trust, UK. May 2019.
CONFERENCES
Training for Service Providers, Policymakers, and Stakeholders: Toward A Comprehensive Child Sexual Abuse Training, Prevention, Mitigation, and Care Program in New Zealand.
Presented by:
Stop the Silence®: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc. (US) and Trust MYRIVR (NZ).
Tuesday - Thursday, April 16 - 18, 2019
John has been invited to speak at this training conference to offer his firsthand experience, knowledge and insights about the impact of child sexual abuse. He will discuss the multilayered and complex trauma impact that child sexual abuse has on a person, both when they are young, while the abuse is occurring, as well as the delayed responses that can manifest later in life, such as PTSD. John will also offer suggestions from a victim/survivor's perspective about what professionals can do to better their understanding, and in turn better their services, for child sexual abuse survivors.
FORUM - LIFE AFTER CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
John Saunders assists survivors of childhood sexual abuse through educational forums and advocacy. He delivers public information lectures, and designs and facilitates community forums. Through these educational lectures and forums, John breaks down the social taboos that prevent open and honest discussions about child sexual abuse. By bringing together abuse survivors, healthcare and legal professionals, local government agencies and religious groups, John mediates important conversations on the effects institutional child abuse has on individuals and communities. John has been actively involved in advocating for fair victim compensation and respectful reconciliation at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Australia). John also supports victims as they navigate their way through their legal proceedings. He is dedicated to helping abuse survivors heal and have a voice.
Find out more, here.
Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
March 2015
This paper was prepared by John Saunders as a response to the proposed compensation for victims of institutional child sexual abuse. The aim of this response was to highlight several problems with the redress proposal. It also set out to provide information and suggestions about how the issue of appropriate compensation might be tackled.
Recognition, Reconciliation and Compensation
May 2013
Hansard Report as read out to NSW Parliament by MP, Jan Barham.