Friends and families of those accused and/or convicted of sexual offenses are unacknowledged victims of the offense. Families often feel shame and isolate as a result. The parents especially look back and wonder what they did wrong or what signs were missed along the way. Did they enable without realizing? Siblings may be conflicted. Families may be torn apart with some wanting to help the offender and others wanting to banish them. Some families remain intact while others dissolve completely, though many are somewhere in the middle of this continuum. All deserve to have their voices heard and acknowledged. When families do opt to remain together, the issue of safe and effective reentry becomes paramount. Families need to grieve and find outlets to help them recover from the turmoil. There is a growing awareness of the needs of family members for both support and therapy, but resources are still very limited. After presenting on the difficulties, this session’s focus moves to the variety of ways available for helping families cope. These include organizations (e.g. B4UAct and CURE-SORT), mental health professionals trained in this sensitive area, and in-person and on-line support groups. The goal of this session is to share how these various programs help individuals and families negotiate challenges from arrest and dealing with the criminal justice system to living after reentry with a focus on helping families make good decisions, avoid shame and isolation, grieve, and move forward.
Trigger Warning: This presentation contains information (written, spoken, or visual) that may be triggering or (re)traumatizing to attendees.
James Prager is a proud member of Northern Ohio REACH and has his master’s in social work. James also has a sexual conviction. Today, he utilizes his skills and experiences to mentor and pursue restorative justice principles and to bring diverse groups together.
Matthew Rosenberg is a Masters level licensed clinical social worker with experience in evaluation, treatment/therapy, consultation, and specialized training. He has worked with sexual abuse victims and their respective family members, spouses, abusers, sexual addicts, and sexually reactive children. He is the author of Understanding, Assessing, and Treating Sexual Offenders.
Kathie began volunteering with incarcerated people in the 1990’s, never realizing she would later become personally affected when a family member was arrested for a sex crime. She facilitates support groups for people convicted of sex offenses and their family and friends, utilizing techniques from restorative justice.