Kerem Centers - Support for Children & Youth, Victims of Sexual Assault

Kerem Centers offer emotional therapy for children and youth who have been sexually assaulted. The aim is to help young victims deal with the experience and its ramifications, improve their daily functioning in the wake of the trauma, and restore them to regular, normative life. With a regional outreach, each Kerem Center provides an immediate, professional response that is suited to the needs of the child and family, with no charge.

We see children up to the age of 18 (or through completion of high school) who have undergone different kinds of sexual assault, within the family and beyond, and whether the event was investigated by the police or not. After an initial assessment which involves meeting the child and parents, an individual therapeutic program is designed for one-on-one sessions with the child, guidance, and support for the parents, family therapy, and group therapy.

The Kerem Centers employ professional therapists (men and women) who specialize in a sexual-psychological assault, clinical social workers, and expressive-creative therapists. We believe it is very important to match the therapeutic program to the language, culture, and community of the child and family.

In addition to providing therapy, the Kerem Centers work to identify children in the community who have been assaulted and to prevent further assaults by training workers in various fields to provide first-response care for young victims.

For more information, please contact:

     

Kerem Center - main office

Khatsor ha-Glilit, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Majdal e-Shams

Kerem Center - Branch

Katsrin

Kerem Center - Branch

Kiryat Shmona, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Tsefat, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Maghar, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Tverya, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Emek HaYarden, ישראל

Kerem Center - Main Office

Karmiel, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Sakhnin, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Tarshiha, מעלות תרשיחא, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Abu Snan, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Nahariya, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Akko, ישראל

Kerem Center - Main Office

Nazareth, Israel

Kerem Center - Branch

Kafr Manda, ישראל

Kerem Center - Branch

Ilut, Israel

Kerem Center - Branch

Um el-Fahm, ישראל

Activites

Scope of Activity

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regional treatment centers
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local branches
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therapy hours per year

Real Cases

R., an elementary school pupil, underwent extended sexual abuse by an older boy and consequently shut himself in his room and avoided playing with friends. He has trouble falling asleep and during the day would have outbursts of rage and crying for no apparent reason. His school grades declined and it seemed that he would have to be moved to a special education setting. Thanks to the treatment at a Kerem Center, R.’s trust and confidence were slowly restored. He shared his experiences with the therapist and he and his parents acquired tools to cope with the trauma and its effects on his life. During the year he came to Kerem, R. revealed himself as an intelligent boy who liked to learn, and gradually he closed the gaps at school and rejoined his group of friends. We see today a boy with greater emotional resilience, able to carry on after the trauma.

I. is a 10-year old girl who was abused over a long period by a family member, starting from when she was in kindergarten. The therapeutic process with the parents focused on coping with the difficult dilemma of preserving family honor while protecting their child. They managed to overcome the fear of being outcast from their community and put the well-being of their child first, as their absolute imperative. This decision was the significant step that was needed for N. to deal with the guilt and shame she was experiencing. At the same time, therapy helped her move from passive patterns of behavior to more active ones, she found the strength to express herself and her needs. After having been a loner, she began to flourish and make new friends.