Committee for Children Blog

The Work Is Worth It

This week’s blog post is written by Executive Director Joan Duffell in observance of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Joan DuffellOnce in a great while, as we forge ahead in pursuit of our mission, we encounter someone who brings us up short and reminds us just how vitally important this work really is. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I met a mom: a lovely, smart woman in her early 40s, she could have been my next door neighbor or best friend.

As it happens, she is the survivor of every parent’s nightmare. Her kindergarten daughter was unlucky enough to have been sexually abused by a trusted friend and neighbor. And—her child was lucky enough to attend a Seattle Public School that taught our Talking About Touching personal safety curriculum in kindergarten classrooms.

After receiving several lessons in touching safety, the little girl disclosed to her older brother that the neighbor had sexually abused her. The brother and sister reported the abuse to their parents. The parents acted swiftly and decisively, reporting the offender while soldiering through their shock and disbelief (the abuser and his wife were this family’s neighbors and closest friends). The investigation revealed that this guy had sexually abused other kids in the neighborhood as well. He was successfully prosecuted after the little girl calmly took the witness stand and gave a full account of the horrific acts he pressed upon her. The offender is now incarcerated in a Washington State prison.

This mother has since become a passionate advocate for personal safety education. Her story is a poignant reminder that thousands of children are sexually abused by adults. Left unchecked, the emotional and physical consequences for these children are truly dire, but with prevention education, there is real hope. In the 30 years since prevention education programs have proliferated, our nation’s child sexual abuse rates have dropped significantly. This is something to celebrate!

It is not every day that we are thanked for the work we do, and so it is truly heartwarming to receive this family’s gratitude. I tell the mom that she and her husband, daughter, and son are the real heroes in this story. Although it’s tough to advocate on this issue, it’s far tougher for the kids who endure abuse, then build up the courage to tell—as well as for the parents who report the abuser and deal with the social, emotional, and familial consequences of their truth-telling.

Stories like hers renew my passion for this work. I hope that by my sharing it, others will find inspiration as well.