Crime victims group talks to teens
Published 12:01 am Tuesday, November 17, 2009
EVERETT — Nancy Hawley saw the need a few years ago in a Snohomish County courtroom packed with teenagers.
Their friend was dead and another friend was on trial for vehicular homicide. The teens were overwhelmed with guilt and fear and grief.
“Teenagers tend to believe that what’s happening to them now is going be like that forever,” Hawley said. “They need a place where they can sort out that stuff.”
Hawley is the director of victims services for the nonprofit group Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims. The Everett-based organization provides assistance to crime victims and their loved ones, including a 24-hour crisis line and support groups for people affected by violence.
The agency recently began offering a support group just for teenagers. Teen Talk is open to young people ages 13 to 18 who are victims of violent crime or have been affected by violence, including suicide.
The goal is to give teens a safe place where they can talk and interact with other teens also coping with trauma.
In the past, Hawley and other victim advocates referred teens to local therapists. Often, kids don’t want to talk one-on-one with a mental health professional, Hawley said.
They generally are more comfortable talking with their peers, especially someone who has gone through a similar experience, she said. Some kids don’t want to talk about how they’re feeling at all and may choose to express themselves in other ways, such as writing or drawing.
“We don’t want them turning to something unhealthy like drugs or alcohol or self-harm,” Hawley said.
The group isn’t for victims of sexual abuse or domestic violence. There are already established support groups in the community for victims of those crimes, Hawley said.
The organization also provides a support group for parents, siblings, coaches and others connected to young people who are suffering from trauma. The group focuses on understanding what the teens are going through and how they might help.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
