BELL COUNTY, Texas — Sexual abuse is prevalent in our society, especially when it comes to children. No one wants to talk about abuse, but it's important to have conversations because it can possibly help prevent abuse from happening.
Sexual predators can be anywhere and sometimes they are the people you thought you could trust.
"It takes seconds for someone to abuse a child. It doesn't have to be in the dark or alone," said Ashley Lomas, a forensic interviewer at the Child Advocacy Center of Central Texas.
Lomas interviews about five or six kids a day. She said their stories can be heartbreaking.
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"Well there are definitely some cases where I leave here and cry on my way home or I get home and I hug my babies a little tighter," Lomas said.
According to the Child Advocacy Center, one in 10 children suffers from abuse. Michelle Carter, the executive director said they often don't report it.
"Children are scared to tell regardless of the circumstance of how they're being abused," Carter said.
Fear is why Carter said it's important to talk to your kids at an early age.
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"Don't be shy to talk about these issues with your kids. The only way we're going to combat child abuse is to be courageous to talk about something that's very difficult," Carter said.
There are ways to talk to your children without instilling fear.
- Make sure you have an open relationship with your children.
- Talk to them about their body parts using correct terms.
- Teach them boundaries, and that it's ok to say 'no.'
- Tell them to not keep secrets
- Teach your children the importance of coming forward if anything happens
"There are a lot of child cases. People probably don't even realize how many cases we get," said Killeen Police Department Special Victims Unit Detective Angela Mathews.
If you even suspect child abuse, Mathews said by law you have to report it. So, if your child said they were abused, stand behind them and call authorities immediately.
"We are the voices for these children that can't speak for themselves and if we don't do it a lot of people won't. So that's why these cases are so important to us," Mathews said.
When people think of an abuser, you never think it's someone you know. But, about 90 percent of victims know the abuser.
"There's no cookie cutter victim, there's no cookie cutter perpetrator and a lot of times it's the person that's closest to the child," Lomas said.
Abuse can happen anywhere. So the more they know, the more equipped they are to identify it, report it, and hopefully even stop it before it happens.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of sexual abuse or if you have a suspicion about something or someone, make sure to report it.
- Child Advocacy Center of Central Texas offers counseling services for victims.
- Darkness to Light aims to end sexual abuse.
- Advocacy Center for crime victims and children is located in Waco.
- Texas Association Against Sexual Assault
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline
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