What Would You Do?

Let me ask you a question.  How would you react if you discovered a trusted relative was sexually abusing a child in your family?  Or maybe the abuser is a highly respected, influential person in an organization you support.  Would you be outraged?  Or would you worry about what people think about your family or that organization?  

Unfortunately, when most people have the opportunity to protect a child’s wellbeing in a sexually abusive situation, they choose to preserve the reputation of the family or organization rather than coming to the aid of the child.  They choose to do nothing.  

I’ve been teaching about CSA for over a decade, and I’ve seen this response too often.  Just look at the media.  The Penn State incident is a perfect example.

Sad, isn’t it?  But true.

I know what you’re thinking.  You would be the exception, wouldn’t you?  You’d react differently by speaking up for the child.  

But what you don’t realize is you can’t do that effectively until you’ve been educated about child sexual abuse.  You’d need to know the facts, as well as the warning signs and how to prevent CSA from happening.  

You may think you already know enough.  You don’t.  Unless you’ve attended a CSA seminar or presentation, you don’t have the skills necessary to help a child in a sexually abusive situation.

Concerned adults need to be educated about CSA.  It’s important to learn how offenders groom parents before they go after their kids.  That’s the only way you’ll know how to act in the best interests of the child.  

Fortunately, there are caring people like you, who recognize the need for education and preparation.  You realize it’s more important to protect the child than the reputation of the family or organization.  When you learn how often CSA occurs, you’ll create a safety plan to protect your kids, as well.

Once people are educated about CSA and how it fuels a toxic cycle of abuse generation after generation, they’ll understand there aren’t several choices in this kind of situation.  There’s only one.  And doing nothing is not the answer.

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If you’re interested in learning more about CSA, I teach educational webinars and presentations for concerned adults, parents, and teens.  I also offer private coaching sessions by phone or skype for child sexual abuse survivors.  You’ll find more information about these services at: http://www.educate4change.com/services.html 


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