As the Advocate for the Innocent (AFTI) journey continues, I am experiencing so many positive interactions, introductions and new connections. These resources are providing support to successfully launch our first marketing campaign. In our last post, we asked survivors to share their stories and our goal is to have 1M
survivors share. Creating awareness about child molestation and abuse will help others crush their shame and silence.
Since the founding of AFTI, I have had at least 8 interactions with people who have been victims, survivors or affiliates. The branch manager at the bank thanked me for opening a business account and then inquired about AFTI. After sharing our mission, he humbly shared his story of being molested as a child. I was talking with a church member, and she said she was molested in 6th grade and then date raped in college. According to the American Psychological Association, child sexual abuse victims had a 2 to 3 times greater risk of adult revictimization than women without a history of child sexual abuse. I’ve had several interactions with customer service representatives who share similar stories. Seeing and experiencing the emotional damage that stems from this type of abuse has given me a strong passion for eradicating child molestation and abuse permanently.1
According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), as many as 93 percent of victims under the age of 18 know the abuser. For most of my family members, the perpetrator was another family member. Other survivors were abused by an older child, a friend of the family, a church member, a neighbor, a babysitter and even a parent. It is mind-boggling to me that so many people I know personally have been impacted but given these statistics, it’s clear that it’s difficult to see the signs. For most parents, they are comfortable leaving their children with people they know, and this should be the norm. Unfortunately, it is necessary to ensure that everyone who spends one-on-one time with your child/children has been properly vetted to ensure they are safe.2
Some other stats from RAINN, an abuser will often use their position of power to coerce or intimidate the child. They might tell the child that the activity is normal or make threats if the child refuses to participate or plans to tell another adult. Child sexual abuse is not only a physical violation, but a violation of trust. One of the keys to protecting your child is to create an open dialogue. Effective communication can be instrumental in preventing abuse.2
When the #MeToo movement started in 2006, it took some time to spread awareness about the prevalence of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture. Once survivors began stepping forward and sharing their stories, more and more victims realized it was necessary to share their stories too. When we create
awareness about child molestation and abuse, we help others do the same and crush the silence and shame. Please consider sharing your story with me at renee@advocatefortheinnocent.org.