Sex assault help line calls peak at prom time
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | 1:38 PM NT
CBC News
Related
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
As high school prom season hits its peak, so do calls to the Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre in St. John's.
Barbie Wadman, co-ordinator of the centre, said counsellors receive a marked increase in calls to the crisis help line around prom time.
Wadman said it seems to be because of an increase in drug and alcohol use among high school students during celebrations.
"We'll get young people who call, and they want to talk about experiences that they've had. Generally they'll be experiences from parties or some sort of celebratory activity ... Generally there are drugs and alcohol involved," Wadman said.
Wadman said young women are often dealing with guilt, because they feel they put themselves in harm's way by using drugs or alcohol.
Wadman said parents can help by keeping the lines of communication open with their teenagers.
They should also be on the lookout for any changes in behaviour that might indicate something has happened.
"I can't tell you how many times I've spoken to young people who feel like they can't confide in their parents," Wadman said. "We make sure they know all of their options ... but if you have a child who isn't comfortable talking to their parents, even getting medical attention could be an issue."
Wadman said her centre also gets more calls for help after Christmas and the Victoria Day long weekend in May.
Share Tools
Latest Nfld. & Labrador News Headlines
- A letter from a fisherman's daughter
- A letter written by a woman who says her father was jailed for trying to keep replacement workers from boarding an OCI trawler - The Lynx - in Bay Roberts last week. more »
- Storm lashes Newfoundland and Labrador
- Many parts of Newfoundland and Labrador have been whipped with high winds and either rain or snow depending on local temperatures. more »
- CBC On Point with David Cochrane | Feb. 11
- On Point host David Cochrane speaks with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale about search and rescue services in this province. more »
- Nain man convicted of manslaugter for girlfriend's death
- A Nain man has been convicted of manslaughter for killing his girlfriend two years ago. more »
Top News Headlines
- Greece passes new austerity deal amid rioting
- Greek lawmakers have approved harsh new austerity measures demanded by bailout creditors to save the debt-crippled nation from bankruptcy, after riots in Athens and other cities left stores looted and burned and more than 120 people hurt. more »
- Quebec town 'heartbroken' after killing of woman, sisters
- A small Quebec town is in mourning Sunday after a Quebec man was charged with killing his nieces and his mother, who were found dead in their family home. more »
- Houston autopsy results withheld by police
- Whitney Houston was found in a hotel bathtub but it'll take weeks to determine precisely how she died, a Los Angeles coroner's official says. more »
- Musicians who died before their time
- The growing list of musicians who have died young. more »
- Storm lashes Newfoundland and Labrador
- Fire extinguished in St. John's pizza shop
- St. Anthony man dies on shrimp vessel
- Nain man convicted of manslaugter for girlfriend's death
- Grand Falls-Windsor growing without paper mill
- More Labrador vigils calling for better search and rescue
- Eastern Newfoundland cafeteria workers reach tentative deal
- Burned by fiery crash, now scorched by thieves
- Nain man charged after stabbing

