What Are You Are Enough™ Groups?
You Are Enough™ groups are online peer support groups designed to help parents and caregivers whose children have experienced sexual violence.
These groups offer:
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Emotional Support: A compassionate environment where parents can share and connect.
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Practical Advice: Guidance and tools to help parents navigate this challenging journey.
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A Safe Space to Heal: A confidential setting to process difficult emotions and find empowerment.
Why Peer Support Matters
When faced with the trauma of child sexual violence, parents often feel isolated and overwhelmed. Peer support provides a lifeline of understanding, connection, and the strength to move forward as a family.
From a Parent:
"The groups are led with great expertise. It feels safe. You can be yourself—with whatever strength you have today. There’s space for discovery and valuable practical guidance through a difficult process."
From a Professional:
"Facilitating these groups has shown me the transformative power of peer support. Parents find a community that helps them rebuild hope and resilience."
Findings from a Pilot of You Are Enough™ Parental Peer Support Groups in Finland and Ireland.
“Being able to share with a group makes me realise that I am not alone and that I am doing as well as anyone else who is dealing with the aftermath of child sexual abuse.”
-Parent attending a You Are Enough™ group.
Our evaluation highlights the severe negative impact that online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) has on victims and their families, the child victims' symptoms closely mirroring the parents' own symptoms of trauma.
Findings from the pilot show that parents and caregivers who attended the You Are Enough™ peer support group experienced improved wellbeing. In particular, parents valued the sense of not feeling alone, the valuable information gained about the criminal justice and healing processes, and their understanding of their child’s trauma symptoms, which helped them support their child's recovery.
Recent news about the "You Are Enough" Peer Support Group
Listen to the You Are Enough™ podcast
In the You Are Enough™ podcast, the Executive Director of Protect Children and Psychotherapist Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen, and Psychologist Nina Lyytinen discuss the topic with a parent whose child has fallen victim to sexual abuse. The podcast Highlights the parents' need to be acknowledged, heard, and understood, with whatever resources and emotions they experience during the various stages of the criminal process.
Podcast available in Finnish only
Recent publications about the "You Are Enough" Peer Support Group
This webpage has been developed with funding from the European Union.
Listen to our podcast with Jeremy Indika
Nina Vaaranen-Valkonen and Katariina Leivo, the You Are Enough™ facilitators in Finland, joined Jeremy Indika on his podcast to discuss the vital role of peer support groups for parents and caregivers whose children have fallen victims to sexual violence.
The conversation covered essential topics such as how to support your child and the overwhelming emotions parents face when reading police reports, witnessing their child's trauma, and struggling with feelings of helplessness.