COMFORT FOR VICTIMS

AUTHOR Xenia Schembri is no stranger to abuse — and it was through writing, educating and inspiring others that she found her strength to become a voice for the voiceless.

Her series Brace Little Bear targets age groups from threeyear olds to adults, aiming to reach out to sexual abuse victims and give them coping mechanisms and steps for future prevention.

Mrs Schembri said when she noticed so many families going through similar circumstances, it inspired her to create the At the Ark charity and the book series.

“The statistics surrounding child sexual abuse are shocking and the purpose of the Brave Little Bear book series is to see these statistics drop,” Mrs Schemberi said.

“The Australian Bureau of Statistics states that 12 per cent of women and 4.5 per cent of men in Australia report having been sexually abused before the age of 15 years and the victimisation rate of sexual assault has increased by almost 15 per cent over the last seven years.

“I’m hoping this event will help change that reality and give children in particular the opportunity to learn how to identify people who are safe to share their experiences with.”