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Families standing up to shame and stigma

Emerging Minds, Australia, August 2024

Related to Bullying, Family and social relationships, Gender and sexuality, Money, housing and food insecurity, Racism

Before you start …

There are some important things to know before continuing. Select the following headings to learn more.

  • This fact sheet is part of a series we created with families who have been through tough times to spark hope and share new ideas about how to stand up to shame and stigma.

     

    We hope these resources have something to offer all families, but recognise they are simply a snapshot reflecting the lived experiences of the families who helped us create them – other families will have different experiences and stories.

     

    We also intentionally create resources that reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing with guidance from our National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultancy Group and partners.

     

    See more about how Emerging Minds collaborates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners, families and Community.

  • Emerging Minds acknowledges that families come in many forms. In our resources, the term ‘parent’ encompasses biological, adoptive, foster and kinship carers as well as individuals who have chosen to take up primary or shared responsibility in raising children. Our resources aim to support families and the children in their care. We acknowledge that every child is unique and has different strengths, vulnerabilities and experiences that shape their health and development.

Lauren, 14 years old

Hopefully you have already had a chance to read the following resources, which provide a useful introduction to our shame and stigma series.

Shame and stigma can show up in families in many ways that make life harder, disrupt connection and tear us down. But families and children are always responding to these harmful effects. Sometimes in ways that are small or invisible, sometimes in ways that are big or obvious. Children, young people and adults are always finding unique and creative ways to hold onto what matters to them and to be the authors of their own story.

In this series, we share stories from families about a few of the many ways they have responded to shame and stigma. Not all experiences are covered, but we hope these stories will remind you of the ways your own family has responded, or give you some new ideas about responding to shame or stigma. Maybe you will even feel inspired to share your stories with others.

Before you continue, take a moment to think about …

  • What are some of the ways you have responded when shame and stigma showed up in your family?
  • In what ways have you seen your children respond to shame and stigma?
  • Who or what supports your family to respond to shame and stigma?
  • What can others do to stand with children and families against the effects of shame and stigma?

Now that we know about the types of stigma, its effects on families, where shame comes from and how it looks and feels, let’s take a look at how we can stand up to shame and stigma. Select the following links to read about some of the ways that families are standing up to shame and stigma by:

 

More Shame and stigma resources

Have a look at the following options and choose what feels right for you and your family.

Read more about how families are standing up to shame and stigma by:

More resources:

Discover more resources

This resource is part of the following toolkits

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