March 2012 Challenge : Embrace These Truths

Harsh as they may be, reports and statistics are an everyday part of life. Instead of shunning them and remaining in the dark, confront them, become aware, and become part of the ongoing battle to find a solution. Child Sexual Abuse is Real but it is not incurable.

Random Facts:

New reports state that 1 in 3 girls, not 1 in 4, are the victims of child sexual abuse.

In as many as 93 percent of child sexual cases, the child knows the person that commits the abuse.

In relation to knowing the perpetrator, if familial ties exist, the abuse is known as incest.

Many sexually abused children exhibit physical, behavioral and emotional symptoms.

Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to become criminal offenders as adults.

Disclosure and response are key elements in a child's well being and treatment after the abuse.

Talking with your children, making them aware of appropriate sexual behavior is key in prevention.

Repressed memory is a coping mechanism in adults used to deal, or not deal with the nightmares of being sexually abused as a child.

Perpetrators report that they look for passive, quiet, troubled, lonely children from single parent or broken homes.

Grooming is when a perpetrator establishes a trusting relationship with the victim and/or the victim’s family in order to gain access to the child.

*The list is longer than both my arms outstretched. The point is this, when we turn blind eye and deaf ear to the facts, we dismiss the truths. When we dismiss the truths, we become desensitized to the rest of the world who have acknowledged these statistics. And then one day, you wake up, see and understand the facts, but by then, it's usually too late. Become aware today and let those around you know that this is important to you. Share this knowledge with them. 

Blessings. 

~K. Taylor 

November Challenge: Something To Be Thankful About

In the case of child sexual abuse, children are more likely to disclose the information to a person other than a parent! Why is this? Various reasons may provoke this course of action, but the one that may be most prominent is Fear of Rejection. Children are afraid they will be shunned, pushed away, not believed, ignored... they fear the rejection of a loved one. This makes the pain seem like an even heavier burden. But if your child has been allowed to establish an open line of communication with parents and caregivers, and healthy relationships have been encouraged with outside forces, much of the hurt that comes in the form of long term effects may be derailed. Or better yet, the abuse may be halted altogether. Those that sexually abuse children go through a phase with potential victims called the 'grooming' phase. They tend to target children who are more withdrawn. Replace that element with something to be thankful about. Enforce and Encourage a support system that entails not only adults, but peers your child(ren) trust. Know that these bonds are definitive to the social lives of our youth. If any hurt, harm or danger should come their way, this peer force will be the first to know. Learn who your child's bestfriend is, take an interest in their friendship, and water the seed of trust between the two. In it's growth, you can be reassured, that any pertinent information such as child sexual abuse will be disclosed. This disclosure with a trusted ally will hopefully strengthen voices and give victims the courage to speak out.

Katandra Shanel Jackson
Founder of Angel Eyes Foundation