No one ever knew that when I was 10 years old, my babysitter’s son sexually abused me. My mother suspected something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know how to talk to me about it.
Forty-nine years later, I still feel the effects: PTSD, panic attacks, low self-esteem. But since I shared my story, I’ve found that speaking out is helping me heal – and helping prevent the same thing from happening to another child.
Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training teaches adults how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. It includes tips for creating open, honest conversations with children that will help protect them from abuse. In addition to practical advice and expert testimony, Stewards of Children features child sexual abuse survivors, including myself, sharing our stories so that others may learn from them and protect the children in their lives.
My journey hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud to have found the courage to speak out as a survivor. Now I’m working to make sure everyone knows what to look for, so that no other children have to suffer through what I did.
Please, take the time to learn what you can do to protect children.