ORSHINA

“We offer an alternative to fear. We offer an option not to talk, just be, play, create, compete, cook, and eat together. And the group setting means that someone else can speak when you don’t feel like it. You don’t have to talk.”

– Ori Sherman, Manager of the Orshina Center

Adolescent boys who experience sexual assault and abuse can often fall between the cracks. One out of every five boys ages 13- 18 experience sexual violence, but only a few seek out treatment. Current estimates suggest that only 10–15% of youth visiting treatment centers are boys.

Read more about the current landscape faced by male survivors of sexual abuse: “The Courage of One: The Testimony of Dalet and the Unique Challenges of Male Survivors of Sexual Assault Since October 7th” by Ori Sherman, Orshina Director.

Boys often keep experiences of abuse to themselves, hoping to maintain normalcy and control over the situaon. Gender stereotypes also play a role in their unwillingness to share their stories and seek help. Boys are impacted not only by the abuse itself, but also by the ramifications of the emotional and physical toll they’ve been carrying.

Youth who do get treatment can sometimes struggle with building trust with an adult, after experiencing abuse and trauma by the hand of one. Traditional therapy can evoke fear and anxiety among some of them.

How ELEM Helps: Orshina

Since many teen boys do not receive or seek treatment, ELEM realized that their needs are different than those of girls and that clinical treatment alone is insufficient. They require a social one as well. This is where the Orshina Center comes in.

The Orshina Center offers personal clinical treatment alongside group sessions, where teens can meet other teens who were vicms of sexual violence. The group meengs have an informal aspect, which allows the boys to have fun together. They cook, eat together, and play, in addition to the therapy sessions. The group helps to recreate a safe space and build trust, which is oen difficult following sexual trauma. It also helps boys feel less alone in their trauma, rather than it being a sentiment recited to them by a therapist.

In addition, the Center also operates “Orshina in the City,” where the staff and volunteer team go out in the evenings to central Jerusalem to meet youth and young adults. This gives the youth an entry point to share, consult, and discuss issues of sexuality and harm, without having to commit to the full therapy process.

Orshina in the City

Orshina in the city

ELEM’s Orshina for boys who experienced sexual assault has launched a new initiative, “Orshina in the City.” The Orshina team is now going to the Jerusalem city center, making Orshina services available for boys wherever they are.

Orshina in the City will enable boys to receive initial information and counseling and provide them with a place to talk about sexuality and harm. The team will also hold various discussion circles, right there on the street, about these topics.

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“I came to Orshina at such a difficult time, when I was looking for a respite from so much complexity. The group sessions at Orshina arrived just in time, providing a place where I could feel a part of something, to belong. This timing is a miracle in itself.”

Orshina Teen