Tag: abused children

  • A Tale of Two Kids: Why CAC Matters

    A True Story by Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    I want to tell you a story today of a child. A child that I know.

    She is not a child that had the benefit of receiving services through the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC).

    But she is why I believe in the CAC.

    I met her when she was six. I was 22 and a child protection investigator. She was the most beautiful blond-haired blue-eyed child I had ever seen. I wish that I could say that the day I met her was the day that her abuse stopped. But that is not the case. I wish that I could say that I was the first child protection worker that she met. I was not.

    When I interviewed her about her abuse — she was silent. She could talk. She had ten seconds earlier called me some very colorful names that I am sure she had heard some adult in her life use to describe my comrades, the previous workers who had paraded in and out of her house.

    I visited her at her elementary school. She had been interviewed at school before. She had been interviewed in her home. She had been interviewed at other schools by other workers. The police had interviewed her on scene several times while responding to calls of domestic violence.

    She never spoke.

    Reports flowed in on a monthly, sometimes weekly basis. Soon the school counselor bypassed the reporting line and called me directly. She stopped me in the grocery store on the weekends. She called my home number. She had no one else to call.

    This child, this beautiful little girl, was described as feral in some reports. She had behavioral issues. She was aggressive. She screamed. She was dirty. She smelled so bad that her classmates would not sit next to her. She constantly had bathroom accidents—either because she could not control it or did not want to control it. She “binged” in the cafeteria because she was starving.

    I spent hours pouring over records — alone in my office. Across town, there was a doctor who was concerned as well. We were trying to figure it out with only the pieces of the puzzle that we had in front of us.

    It took six months to find enough “evidence” that she was at risk and that she and her siblings should be placed in DHS custody. In time we came to learn that, in addition to the years of physical abuse and neglect, she had been sexually abused by multiple family members. The last time I saw this child, she was 10 years old. She was getting therapy. She was in a special foster home. She had had three psychiatric stays in one of the best treatment centers in the country. She had blown through too many foster homes to count.

    Her story is a long and sad one. I carry it around in my heart and there are few days that I do not think about her. Not one incident of abuse committed against her was prosecuted.

    I want to tell you of another child. He too is a child that I know.

    He did have the benefit of the CAC.

    He was four when I met him. I was . . well, a lot older than 22. I met him when he visited me at the CAC. He came to tell his story. He entered very scared — clinging to his mom’s leg. He went into what I call “the little room”, which is an interview room equipped with audio and video recording equipment. He was very shy at first, but as he answered the questions and became comfortable and safe, he very BOLDLY told his story of abuse.

    His mom received support from the Center staff. He only had to tell his story one time and then one more time in court. He got to meet the DHS case worker, the police officer, and a very nice nurse. He called them his “team”. He left the CAC smiling ear to ear.

    He sat at the table talking to me. I will never forget a conversation that he and I had while eating animal crackers at a table. He asked me “What is this place called?” I told him that it was the Children’s Advocacy Center. “It’s a place that kids can come and talk.”

    He told me proudly, “I talked!”

    He sat there smiling at me for a minute. He then looked very serious and told me that he did not talk when the lady came to school. I reassured him that was okay. He told me that it was too scary to talk at school.

    He was seen for a medical exam. He shared with me that his body was okay! He then got an angry look on his face, and said that Jim “lied to him.” Jim told him that his body was “broken”.

    This young man came to court with his suit and tie on. He testified and did a fantastic job. He was six. After court he unbuttoned his shirt to show me that he had a superman t-shirt on. His offender is in prison today with very little hope of ever getting out again.

    What a contrast in these two stories.

    I have seen proof that when we as professionals work together we have better outcomes for our families.

    I have seen proof that in communities where CACs exists there are better outcomes for children, families and the community itself.

  • The Many Faces of Healing: Emily

    The Many Faces of Healing: Emily

     

    Emily, a ten year old intellectually disabled child, came to the Children’s Advocacy Center as result of concerns for her safety. A teacher noticed that this normally very polite, quiet child began having problems in school.

    Emily began acting out sexually on the playground. The teacher became concerned and made a report.

    Emily’s medical evaluation helped determine that she had been physically and sexually abused. During the evaluation, she also disclosed that she had been made to watch pornography. The very specialized medical evaluation from the Children’s Advocacy Center’s pediatrician also found substantial untreated medical issues that indicated long-term neglect. Our doctor was able to make referrals to a primary care physician to help resolve these issues.

    Through the investigation, it became apparent that Emily could not remain in the care of her parents. She was placed with a loving relative who is receiving support services through the Children’s Advocacy Center to help her care for a child who has experienced trauma.

    Emily is safe now and is engaged in therapy services.

  • Tammi Pitzen: The 26th anniversary of living my passion

    Tammi Pitzen: The 26th anniversary of living my passion

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    In 1989, I started this quest into the field of child abuse as an intern on the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office child abuse team.  It was made up of two women detectives.  I graduated in 1990 from Northeast Louisiana University. (They changed their name sometime in the later 90’s, but I refuse to play along.  My degree says NLU, and so that is who they will always be to me!).

    On December 26, 1990, I began working for the Office of Community Services in Vernon Parish and briefly closed my eyes. When I opened them again, it was 26 later and here I am in Oregon.

    This work was meant to be a temporary passage — not a lifetime passion.  December 26th I will embark on my 27th year of working on my behalf of abused children.

    As I sit down to write this, and reflect on the last 26 years, I recognize that many things have changed for me.  I started out making less than $12.50 an hour.  I just did the math and that is shocking to me. If I am honest, I can’t remember how much I made, but at the end of ten years, I was making less than $12.50 an hour.

    I started out in this field at the age of 21, single, childless, and ready to take on the world.  I had no responsibilities to anyone else and so I worked.  A lot.  I worked weekends.  I worked late.  I took work home with me.  I will say, that part does not seem to have changed that much.

    26 years ago, there were no cell phones.  I would go out for the day to locate families, signing out on a white board, and just assumed that if I didn’t come back, someone would eventually come to look for me. Not that they would have found me as, most of the time, I just signed out “in the field”.  Depending on the day, it could have literally been a field, but most of the time, it just meant “out of the office working”.

    26 years ago, there was no GPS system, so I would navigate with the latest parish map.  26 years ago, I planned my life around a “pager” schedule.  I would literally sit around and wait for the pager to go off on my “on-call” weeks.

    26 years ago, most of the training was on the job training and the initial training I received, before going out and investigating life and death crimes, was on constructing genograms. (The social workers reading this will know what that is, and smile, and recognize that it would not help me in deciphering timelines or pattern bruising).

    Within six months of this first job, everything about me changed.  I was no longer who I thought I was. This work changes you.

    No.  Actually, the children do that to you.

    To this day, there are eight children from two families that flash into my mind every night before I go to sleep.  They made me into a better case worker.  Their parents made me more compassionate and empathetic.  Those kids never got to go home or at least, not until their 18th birthday.

    In my first year, I worked near fatal child abuse cases and, within my first year and a half, I had worked fatal cases.

    The smell of a hospital still evokes images and a panicked feeling surrounding my first fatal child abuse case.  Surprisingly, I didn’t interact much with law enforcement while investigating that case.  I do remember having to repeatedly call and basically camp out at the police station to get a report and to get a copy of the coroner’s findings.

    I do remember my shaking hands as I tried to draw the injuries I could see on the child’s body. Another skill that none of my initial training taught me.  And I remember crying myself to sleep as I imagined what had happened that caused her to take her last breath.

    It was a pivotal moment.  At this point, caseworkers either move on to some other work or decide what adjustments they will need to make in order to stay in.

    Upon reflection, I have learned so much.  Here are 26 things I have learned in 26 years:

    1.      At some point in life, you have to decide if making a lot of money is your driving force or if it is finding your purpose.  Sometimes you are super lucky and your purpose will allow you to make a lot of money.

    2.     Sometimes your passion chooses you.  And usually when you are not paying attention.

    3.     If you are going to make a difference, you have to take care of yourself.  I always thought it was crazy that the stewardess on the plane tells you that, if you are sitting next to a child and the air masks drop, put yours on first. Now, I totally get it.  You will do no one any good if you are sick and unable to function.

    4.     For the most part, people do the best they can with what they are given—this includes parents of abused children.

    5.     Sometimes milk and cookies is the answer — no matter what the question.

    6.     Spilled milk is not a crisis or the end of the world.  Neither is spilled red Kool-Aid.

    7.     If we listen closely, children will tell us what they need.  And part two of that is that sometimes they tell us through methods other than words.

    8.     Adults are always in control and in charge in any interaction with children.  It does not matter if it is an abuse scenario or just regular life.

    9.     Very few mistakes made are mistakes that can’t be corrected.

    10.  Sometimes you get “do overs” in life.  Always take them.

    11.  Wolves really do come in sheep’s clothing.  Every single time I am surprised by it when it happens.

    12.  Life is good when you expect the best all the time, even when people disappoint you. Being surprised by the wolf in sheep’s clothing does not make you naïve or ignorant.

    13.  Everyone has something to give and no matter what it is they are giving, it has value. It is important to let them give.

    14.  Children who are abused did not ask for that abuse nor did they do anything to cause the abuse to happen.  The brokenness that is left after a child is abused can be repaired.

    15.  Sometimes everything IS awesome.  Enjoy those times!

    16.  Sex offenders look like everyone else.

    17.  An abused child deserves the same things that any other child has.

    18.  The world-wide web is not the enemy.  The key is supervising our children and monitoring their actions on the internet.

    19.  Kids will teach you what you need to know to love them.

    20.  Judgements get in the way of doing our best work with families.

    21.  Don’t get caught up in leaving a legacy or a mark on the world.  Focus on doing what is “right” and “kind” in the moment and your mark will be left.

    22.  Providing structure provides safety.

    23.  Abuse in your childhood does not define who you are.  It usually has nothing to do with who you are and more to do with who the abuser is.

    24.  Listen to everything your child tells you, as if it is the most important thing in the world, so they will tell you the important things when they come up. Otherwise they may get filtered out.

    25.  Never underestimate the impact of being kind to someone.

    26.  Terrible awful things happen to the best people.  It really isn’t about what is fair or what is right.  It is about what you do next.  Do you choose to stay exactly where the terrible awful thing left you. Choose to rise above and beyond.

    And I want to add one more that has saved me many times: Never, ever take yourself too seriously.  When you can recognize your weaknesses and your mistakes and forgive yourself those missteps, it allows others to do the same for themselves

    While many things have changed in the last 26 years, the one thing that remains constant is this: Abused children need each of us.

    We — as in all of us — are the ones that can change the trajectory of the life of an abused child.  Don’t let anyone tell you it is not your business.  It is your business.

    It has been a long rewarding 26 years.  I am hoping I have more years to give. As I enter in my 27th year, I am humbled and thankful for the opportunity to do this work in this community.

    I am extremely proud of the staff, Board, Advisory Council, volunteers, donors and Multi-disciplinary team at the Children’s Advocacy Center.

    Together we can make our world a better, safer place for children in Jackson County.  We depend on each of you to be able to provide abused children with interviews, therapy, medical care and support services.

     

    Tammi Pitzen and her co-workers at the beginning of her career

     

  • Foster Children: The stars in the tornadoes

    Foster Children: The stars in the tornadoes

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    When I was a caseworker I was often asked why I did what I did. How could I stand to see the pain and sorrow of small children on a daily basis? How could I see the struggling parents trying to do the best they could, even when the best they had to offer was not safe enough?

    When others saw tornadoes, I saw stars. I was not alone. I was not special. There were many who came before me and many who came after me. This blog is not about me but about the global need for tolerance and understanding in a world of tornadoes.

    I never could articulate an answer that seemed to satisfy the question. I can only tell you, if you listen close enough, the answer is in the tornado.

    There is much pain in the life of a foster child. There is pain caused by the abuse. There is pain caused by the fact that the abuse is at the hands of someone who they love and by someone who is supposed to love them. And, if we are all honest, there is pain caused by the system that is trying to keep them safe.

    Today as we begin to move our focus towards the celebration of independence and freedom, I want to challenge you to not forget those who are not free. Those who might not be fighting on the battlefields, but certainly fighting to stay alive…fighting to find peace…fighting to find safety.

    I ask that you find it in your heart to find tolerance. To find compassion. Many of you are saying, “Of course!” “Of course I will give peace to an abused child.” “Of course I will not add to the pain of an abused child by denying compassion, empathy and acceptance.”

    Remember that these children are sometimes in the whirl of the tornado. You will not see the child begging for help (at least not every time).

    They may be the child who is throwing a tantrum. They may be the aggressive child. He may be the child constantly standing outside the principal’s office because he just can’t keep it together. It will not always be the child saying thank you, but might be the child telling you to go jump in the lake — using much more creative language than I choose to use here.

    We cannot begin to understand the life of a foster child unless that is a life we have lived ourselves.

    I am sharing a video. It is part two. I shared part one when it came out. Take the time to hear her story. It could help you to really make a difference in the life of a child. If you are a professional in the field, watch it all.

    Remind yourself of the breathtaking job you have undertaken. Look for the stars.

    Video Link

    Removed ScreenshotClick Here For Video

     

  • 707 Victims of Child Abuse in Jackson County

    By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    In preparation for April’s child abuse prevention and awareness activities, I have been looking at a lot of child abuse numbers . . . statistics etc. I do not believe that the numbers ever tell the full story.

    In Jackson County in 2013, there were 707 child victims of abuse or neglect. These are not the “grey void” cases. Grey void is what I call those cases that fall into the category of not good parenting decisions that do not rise to a level of founded abuse, but still have a negative impact on a child’s life. There are many cases that fall into that void.

    The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County served 601 new child clients in 2014. (“New” is defined as first point of contact, but does not include clients receiving services that are continuing from the prior year.)

    But the question is — what does this really mean? What story do the numbers tell you? What do you see when you read those numbers?

    I will tell you what I see. I see sad small child faces. I see the children who go to school with my son. I see the children who sit with me in church. Those 707 live with me in this community.

    What do you hear?

    I will tell you what I hear. I hear silence. The kind of silence that speaks volumes. Most children do not report their abuse. Most depend on others to speak for them. Most depend on others to know what to look for and report on their behalf. Their silence screams HELP ME!

    There are more numbers: 44.7% of cases of abuse and neglect founded across the state were in families where substance abuse was an issue. The next highest stress factor across the state was domestic violence, followed by financial stress. I think these numbers speak for themselves, but do not tell the full story of what this means for kids.

    There is great debate across the county about what the numbers mean. Many will tell you the numbers of child abuse are decreasing. Others will tell you they are increasing. Some will cling to the decreasing numbers and tell you that “we” are doing something right. Others will tell you that the increasing numbers mean we need more in the trenches working on addressing the issue of child abuse. That debate becomes more political than I care to weigh-in on in this forum.

    What I do believe is that 707 children in my world is too high.

    What I know from experience, is that number will increase and decrease from year to year as we get better at identifying child abuse and as the community gets more skilled at reporting abuse to be investigated.

    What I know from experience is that if you, as a system, “look” for abuse you will find it. If you are not proactive in trying to remedy the problem, you will not see that the problem exists. If no one believes, then no one reports. If no one can provide protection and safety, then no one will seek it. Crazy how that works.

    I daily make a commitment to be vigilant on behalf of the children in my world. It is a struggle to balance that commitment sometimes with my family and during times when I grow weary that the issue is too big.

    My son, who is 6, and I have conversations that make it seem so simple. When he was three, and I had to work late, he wondered where I had been. He asked me why he had to stay with a sitter. I thought quickly of some lie I could tell him to save myself from the larger conversation. And, if I am honest, I only told him the truth because I was too tired to be creative. I told him that I was at work. He asked me what I did at work. I responded that there was a little girl that needed me to help her be safe.

    He then asked, “Why?” (Don’t you, as a parent, hate the whys?) So I sat down with him on my lap and said that sometimes adults hurt kids and there has to be someone to work to try to keep them safe and that was what my work was about. He looked at me and said, “Ok.” I saw clarity in his eyes beyond his then three years. I was sure he did not understand.

    He continued the conversation and asked would I keep his friends safe if they needed me. I said. “Of course.” Thinking at that point that the conversation was over, I started to move on and he grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye and asked again. Only this time, he began to name his preschool class mates off one by one. Each time I responded, “Yes, of course I would do everything I could to keep them safe.” He wasn’t asking me as a “forensic interviewer” or “advocate”. He was asking me as a “mom”.

    707 children in your world is too high. Don’t you agree?

    The question that lingers is not CAN you help them, but rather — WILL you help them?

    Many will read this and say that they cannot help. I challenge you that you CAN in the following ways:

    • Call the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County and sign up for a child sex abuse prevention class.

    • Learn the signs of child abuse.

    • Be vigilant. When you see something that makes you feel like a child is unsafe, make a report to the Department of Human Services or to law enforcement. If you don’t want to do it alone, then call me at the Center and I will help you.

    • When a child tells you he/she has been hurt by an adult, do not blame the child or dismiss it. Let someone figure out if that child is safe.

    • Do not discount the impact on a child that witnessing domestic violence has. If you suspect that a child is living in a home where domestic violence is occurring, then make a report.

    Want to do more than that? Make a donation to the Children’s Advocacy Center to support our prevention program, or to support direct services. Want to do more than even that? Call the Center and become a volunteer. We need you.

    Will you help the child in your child’s class?

    Will you help the child that sits next to you in church?

    Will you help the child you see riding her bike on your street?

    How many is too many for you? What is your bottom line?

     

     

  • Stephen Collins: Why did no one make a report?

    By Tammi Pitzen, Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    This morning started as most any other morning. I got to the office early before anyone was here. I went up to my office. Checked email. Checked voice mail.

    Everything was going well until I checked Facebook.

    Circulating was a story on Stephen Collins. It was about how he confessed in therapy to his wife about exposing himself to young girls and making one of them touch his penis. There was a recording attached. I usually don’t watch the videos or listen to the recordings attached to news stories, but for some reason, I was needing verification that this was indeed what was happening in the session.

    It is a male confessing to sexually abusing a child and exposing himself to young girls. Both are abusive. I just want to accurately describe what it is he is confessing. I am disturbed deeply by this revelation. This was taped in 2012 by his wife in a therapy session. It sounds like Stephen Collins.

    I am shocked. I am disturbed. I am saddened. I hope that I have it all wrong. I hope that there will be more reported on this story. I am all these things not because I cannot believe that a Hollywood star who played a minister could ever do such things. I am all these things because it appears, at least at this point, that there was a recording of these confessions that was made in 2012 and it appears that nothing has been done about it.

    It appears that no one made a report.

    There are assertions that the police have an open case now. But it would appear that it is a relatively new report, as one new site states that the detectives from the special victims unit were flying from New York to Los Angeles to interview him. I am so hopeful that I have this wrong. I am hopeful that this is a re-interview of the “suspect”. That this case was reported in 2012 and some how got stalled out. I am so hopeful that someone stood up on behalf of these children and made a report. Let these children know that they matter, and that what happened to them matters — more than Stephen Collins’ fame.

    I have continued today to research out this story. His wife of 27 years is divorcing him. This tape came about as a result of therapy, in what I assume was an attempt to save that marriage. I just read this is not the first time Collins has been accused. His ex wife apparently made a report in 2012 on behalf of one of the victims, but nothing ever materialized as a result of that report. He was accused several years ago, but no charges came about as the statue of limitations had run.

    What do we know about sex offenders?

    Well, we know they hide right out in the public view. We know they “groom” children and also “groom” their community.

    We know that they become who we want to believe they are. Stephen Collins is probably best known from his role in 7th Heaven, where he played a minister.

    We know that they insert themselves in situations where they will have unquestioned access to vulnerable children. I wonder if any of the children who ever worked around him will be coming forward next.

    I have no problem believing that Stephen Collins did this. It fits the classic stereo type that I see played over and over again in everyday life.

    I am having trouble believing that no one reported.

    I am having a problem believing that no one cared enough in 2012 to make a report. I am having trouble believing that the only reason this tape was leaked was as a result of a nasty long divorce battle.

    I am hoping I am wrong. I am hoping that tomorrow when I go through my morning routine, I will find that there was one person who made a report. I am hoping that the therapist made a report. I am hoping to pick up a newspaper or catch a news story on E.T., or some other entertainment news site, that will tell me the rest of the story—the part where there was someone who was willing to stand up not only on behalf of these children, but really any and all children who may have crossed the path of Mr. Stephen Collins.

    It is TIME that we stop giving sex offenders ALL the power.

    It is TIME to stop expecting that children will protect themselves.

    It is TIME we all recognize that the safety of our children is our responsibility.

    It is TIME to recognize that one of the greatest talents of a sex offender is to minimize what he has done and the damage that it has caused. In this case it went from exposing to touching and I would suspect further than that.

    The only ones that can do anything to put a stop to the abuse of our children is really us!

    If you suspect it…..REPORT IT!!!!!

  • 7 things I learned while dreaming of Hollywood

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    CAC Executive Director, Tammi Pitzen, “on stage” at the 2014 Winter Fundraising Gala

    By Tammi Pitzen

    As a young child I always dreamed that I would do something great with my life. Not the “you do good work kind of thing”, but the grandiose Hollywood kind of thing. I was never sure what that would be — but was certain that it would happen.

    When I hit my forties, I began to re-evaluate whether I was going to do any great thing. I began playing back in my mind the events that impacted me the most and really looking to see if I could recreate those moments and turn them into the big grandiose thing.

    Here is what I learned:

    1)   First and foremost, grandiose things are over rated. They tend to come big, but fade quickly. I decided that I wanted my “big thing” to come in small unnoticed steps that linger for a life time.

    2)  We really can accomplish so much more when we work together, than when we try to go it alone. This is true in every situation that I can think of. In fact, I can not think of one exception.

    3)  Every single day you should dance like there is no one watching. Seriously. I learned this from watching my five year old son. He is happiest when he is dancing. And soon I find myself wanting to dance with him and then, no matter what mood I started with, I always end up happy. When I look around, everyone within eyesight is also happy and laughing.

    4)  You should not worry about a legacy.  Worry about what you are doing right now. What you do now is what matters. What are you doing now that matters?

    5)  Terrible awful things happen to the best people. It really isn’t about what is fair or what is right. It is about what you do next. Do you choose to stay exactly where the terrible awful thing left you or do you choose to rise above and beyond?

    6)  It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It is a sign that you are human. It really goes back to what we can accomplish together versus what we can do alone.

    7)  Never underestimate the small act of kindness and the impact that it can have on a person.

    So many people will read this and think that I have let go of my childhood dream of doing something grandiose. I may never make it to Hollywood. However, I am doing “BIG” things.

    I work quietly and sometimes loudly on behalf of small, vulnerable people.

    What kind of world would we live in if every person’s “Big” thing was taking care of children?

    Many people will read this and I think, “I can’t do that. I can’t see what you see.”  The truth of the matter is that everyone is seeing it. The trick is to recognize what you are seeing. Reference the above list and look at point number two. And I ask again, “What kind of world would we live in, if every person’s “big” thing was to act on behalf of child abuse victims.”

    What if we all worked to give a “BIG” voice to those who are unheard?

     

     

  • The deafening silence surrounding abused children

    By Tammi Pitzen

    I am the newly hired Executive Director at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County.  I have spent the last twenty three years working to protect children from abuse.  One can imagine the stories that I have heard in what I refer to as “the small little room”.  The small little room is a special room set up with video and audio recording capabilities and I spent a large part of the last few years in one of these rooms talking with children about events that have happened in their lives. Most of these events are abusive in nature.

    I have had many people over the years ask me how I could do such a depressing job.  How could I sit in that room with a child telling me about terrible things that have happened to them and still be able to sleep at night?

    I usually tell them  it is the things that I don’t hear that keep me up at night.  It is the silence that surrounds most abused children that I find deafening. 

    I know through research that approximately thirty percent of children who are abused never tell their story.  This statistic has haunted me throughout my career. Why will they not tell?  What can we do that will help them to tell? I have asked some children, “What made you not tell?” Their answer?  “No one ever asked!”

    Then the next question is, “Why not?” Adults tell me all the time, “I don’t know what to ask.”  They tell me, “I don’t want to make my child paranoid or afraid.”

    This is the part that I find puzzling.  Children look to adults to protect them and to let them know what is right and what is wrong.  What message are we giving them when we are still sending messages through our actions or lack of actions that it is not okay to talk about sexual abuse?  Sexual abuse happens in secrecy.  Sexual abuse is allowed to continue to happen through silence.  I just don’t understand why we as adults want to give all the power to perpetrators and none of it to our children.  After twenty three years of experience and training in the field of child abuse I still have no answers.

    My wish for all children is that they have adults in their lives that will take the time to learn what the signs of abuse are and learn what to do when they see them.

    My wish for all children is that they have adults in their lives who will take the initiative to learn what questions to ask their children so they can take steps to protect them.

    We ask ourselves what has happened that the world have become so unsafe for our children.  The answer is that we as adults have not done enough to empower children.  We have not done enough to keep our children safe. 

    My question to you is what will you do today to reduce the risk of sexual abuse of a child in your life?

    Sign up to take a class through the Children’s Advocacy Center to learn about child abuse prevention. We have a new class every month. Our next one is Monday, Jan. 27th, 4-7 pm at the CAC. To register, contact Shandi at ssmith@cacjc.org or call: 541-734-5437.

    Tammi