Dr Pooja Sawrikar is an independent research consultant specialising in gender and race equity. She has 20 years experience as an academic working across The University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, and Griffith University (2000-2020). Her PhD was in Psychology (2004) and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Work/Social Policy (2007-2010). She can be contacted at p.sawrikar@promotingwomeninacademia.com
IMPORTANT:
If you are contacting me to disclose child sexual abuse for either yourself or a child that you know (under 18 years old), please note:
I am NOT a mandatory reporter. By law, I do not need to tell a child protection authority (assuming you have not already done so). However, there may be some circumstances where it is warranted.
Not all children who are sexually abused are removed from their home – many factors are taken into consideration before such a decision is made.
After a child protection worker makes an assessment, one of their recommendations may be to take up counselling services for the child as well as family therapy (with non-offending members) to address the impact of the child’s trauma on all people who care for them.
Individual counselling and family therapy may be beneficial but are not the only strategies available. Self-help strategies can include reading relevant books, accessing online resources, playing an instrument, gardening, getting a pet, and writing a memoir. You are encouraged to do what is best for you – your well-being is important and worth investing in.
By law, counselling, family therapy, and interpreter services are CONFIDENTIAL – no one in your community will know if you have accessed these unless you tell them yourself.
I am an academic/researcher - NOT a qualified practitioner (e.g. counsellor, social worker, psychologist) - so I will refer you to the service organisations identified under Accredited Service Providers if this is what you are seeking.
Annie Spratt | Unsplash
I strive to use my class, heteronormativity, and able-bodied privileges responsibly. This project aims to engage with people who also wish to use their privileges responsibly, especially white and male privilege.