Welcome to Dorset Action on Abuse

The experience of childhood abuse is recognised as having a significant traumatic impact on a person’s life. Some who were abused when they were young experience lasting distress and debilitating symptoms that endure into adulthood. Depression, extreme anxiety and fear, inability to trust others, and chronic physical symptoms are but a few of the effects that can seriously limit childhood abuse survivors’ hopes for a happy, fulfilling life.

Dorset Action on Abuse (DAA) has been running for six years and received charitable status in July 2007.

Our mission is to relieve the suffering and distress of men and women who are survivors of childhood abuse (sexual, physical, emotional and neglect) in Dorset, including Bournemouth and Poole.

We seek to raise public awareness of the needs of survivors and promote a more understanding and supportive public attitude towards them.

We achieve this through three services:

• Faciliated survivor self-help support groups
• Training events for professionals, volunteers and the public
• Weekly, individual therapeutic counselling