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by Larry Melville Child sexual abuse. The mention of it stirs strong emotions among all of us, yet it is seldom talked about in a constructive way. We see mental images of children with wounded hearts and broken spirits. We picture a little child crying herself to sleep each night or a teen acting out in a fit of violent despair. Thoughts of sorrow and helplessness are quickly turned to repulsion and anger as we think of how someone could be so cruel as to steal the innocence of a little child in such a way. We want to see a predator taken off the streets so he can’t harm other children. But that alone doesn’t appear “just,” so we also harbor secret hopes that an experience similar to that of his victim awaits him in prison. We can then take comfort in both our sorrow and our anger, feeling justified by our condemnation of the act. We then, partly out of necessity and partly out of convenience, move on to other less weighty matters. For the victims of sexual abuse, though, nothing else comes along to totally remove what happened. Family support, counseling and especially faith can indeed mitigate the pain for those who have been sexually abused, but nothing totally erases their experience. There’s often not any help to relieve the insecurity and anger a child often feels from the loss of their childhood innocence. They live their lives as we move on with ours. There are many private citizens and professionals who work very hard to prevent child sexual abuse and to help children when prevention has failed. This includes social workers, police officers, CASA volunteers, counselors, medical professionals, and many others. Each professional though has his or her own primary concerns as they deal with the issue. Social workers are first concerned with the child’s safety, while police officers need to collect evidence to determine if a crime has been committed. Medical professionals need to make sure the child is physically okay and determine if physical evidence is present. Counselors need information to determine how to best meet the longer term emotional needs of the child. The “system,” which involves all these groups and more, often creates a quagmire in which the sum of all parts, while laced with good intentions, becomes heavy enough to crush a child’s spirit when not carefully applied. Because of the horror of the idea, it is easy to believe child sexual abuse is not a problem in White County. Reality, though, tells us differently: Child Sexual Abuse happens often in White County. In a recent twelve month period, 72 reports of child sexual abuse were reported in White County alone. Sufficient evidence for a “true” determination was found in about 30 of those reports. The evidence was sufficient for just a few of the reports. Perhaps a more disturbing fact is that child sexual abuse can happen to children we know personally and it can happen by adults that we trust emphatically. Anyone who has investigated child sexual abuse can tell stories of very good parents who were certain their child’s offender was “a good person” whom they fully trusted. Unfortunately, some parents have trusted the offender so much that they refused to believe their own children. While this is certainly not a call for paranoia, it should serve to remind parents to take reasonable precautions. Regardless of where it happens, who it happens to, or who the offender is, a more effective response is surely in order. The current response too often results in children coming through the process more emotionally scarred than necessary and perpetrators being free to offend again. Fortunately, this does not have to be. In the coming weeks, the citizens of White County will have an opportunity to take a strong stand against child sexual abuse and serious physical abuse by supporting a Child Advocacy Center, or CAC for short. CAC’s are gaining great popularity with law enforcement, child welfare agencies, and child advocates across the country. These Centers are designed to reduce the emotional trauma children experience while providing reliable evidence that can lead to increased prosecutions of sexual predators. At a CAC, a child who may have been sexually or otherwise seriously abused is interviewed in a non-threatening environment which encourages him or her to give a legitimate disclosure of what happened. A trained “forensic interviewer” talks to the child as the professionals in various fields observe. The special needs of each professional are met in several ways before, during and after the interview. This team may also continue to communicate as needed during the course of the investigation. A fully functioning CAC will also provide full medical exams, crisis counseling and other services for the family. The White County CAC plans to include “Court School,” which educates the child’s family about the legal process and updates them on the status of their case. The White County CAC will also provide professional training or counselors, police officers, churches, and others who regularly work with children. The citizens of White County clearly should take advantage of this opportunity to make our system more child-friendly. The idea of a White County CAC is supported by area law enforcement, DHHS, and other professional agencies in White County. We hope to hear good news in the very near future about a facility, equipment, and our status as a tax exempt corporation. You will be hearing of several awareness events and fund-raising events in the future, but any practical support and encouragement will always be appreciated. Previous Article |
