CHILD ABUSE

First off, I’d like to warn you that this article may be hard to read; names have been changed, sentences redacted, but these are not fictional “stories.” What you are about to read comes from the investigations in one of the largest cities in the country and the lessons I’ve learned about the physical and sexual abuse of children. This piece will focus mainly on the sexual abuse of children, though I will make a point or two on the physical abuse that of ten comes along with it

I recently read an article from the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) talking about common myths of child abuse — you can read it at bit.ly/2xajICT. This was by far one of the better quick looks at the topic. One thing was missing for me: It didn’t hit on the corresponding facts that parents need to know. So, I’ve thought of some lessons every parent should know. These may not have statistics attached to them, but they’re based on firsthand experience. My ears will never be able to unhear what these kids have said, my eyes will never be able to unsee the atrocities of child sex abuse material (CSAM), and I will never look at a supposedly innocent “family friend” the same.

Common Perpetrators

The first point I want to hit on is about the perpetrators of child abuse. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the trench coat-wearing stranger at the store you need to