Child Abuse Prevention
DEFENDING AND PROTECTING CHILDREN REPORTING SEXUAL ABUSE
BELIEVE. PROTECT. DEFEND.
That number even drops to 19% if the child is under 6 years old. How can it be that when a child takes the ultimate risk to say out loud the unimaginable trauma of being sexually abused that their abuser is not even arrested, let alone prosecuted or convicted? What if only 19-29% of child kidnappings resulted in an arrest? Whether there are visible injuries or not a child has been greatly harmed, and children and communities put at risk because a child was not believed, protected, and defended.
If a child reports, there must be trained professionals empowered to handle these unique cases and defend that child’s truth no matter what it takes. Laws need to be in place to protect a child during this process, and everyone involved needs to be trauma informed. If a child takes the ultimate risk to trust someone to tell what is happening to them, then we can’t let them down when they do.
UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM
CREATE THE SOLUTION
Defend Survivors is an blog inspired by a speech written by Sarah, a survivor, and run by Paula, Sarah's mother and now a Mother Advocate. In the speech, "It's Not Your Crime," Sarah describes a child’s perspective on what it is like to have a child abuse case turned down by the justice system, and how it negatively affects the survivor’s healing.
Our goal is that all children who report child sexual abuse are believed, protected, and defended. We are dedicated to making sure that survivors who report abuse and enter the justice system are positively affected and supported in their healing.
Aly Raisman
Aly Raisman
Rachael Denhollander
Rachael Denhollander
Elizabeth Smart
Elizabeth Smart
Kyle Stephens
Kyle Stephens
Lucilia
Lucilia
L. R. Knost
L. R. Knost
Elizabeth Smart
Elizabeth Smart
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey