Sharing the secret: The critical role of Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center

This paid piece is sponsored by Children’s Home Society.

The following is a true story; details have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

Imagine that you are a 10-year-old girl. You are being sexually abused by a family friend. It’s a secret — because the “friend” has threatened you.

You keep pushing it out of your mind. But one day, when you’re playing with one of your own friends, the secret slips out.

To your surprise, your friend tells you that the same thing happened to her a few years ago! She says she told an adult and was interviewed at the Children’s Home Children’s Advocacy Center, or CAC. Most important, the abuse stopped.

Your friend says that telling an adult is the right thing to do. She even offers to go with you to share with your mother what has been happening. It’s hard to tell your mom, but having your friend there helps. Your mom is shocked and alarmed. But she believes you. And she thanks your friend for helping you come forward.

Since your friend’s mom has already been through the process, she helps your mom make a report to law enforcement. Next, you have a forensic interview at CAC. An advocate supports your mom for several months, helping her with protection orders, counseling, support groups and more. Your friend also is forensically interviewed as a witness. She provides additional information that strengthens the case.

The abuse stops immediately as your friend and your mom promised it would, and your family works to help you heal.

At more than 1,000 Child Advocacy Centers across the U.S., a multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse is helping vulnerable children like those in this story.

Child Advocacy Centers coordinate the investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases by using multidisciplinary teams of professionals involved in child protective and victim advocacy services, law enforcement and prosecution, and physical and mental health. One of the best-known services provided at Child Advocacy Centers is forensic interviewing, which is conducted in an objective, nonduplicative manner.

Children’s Home Society operates the Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center in Rapid City, which is one of a handful of such programs in the entire state.

CAC often receives referrals of this sort, which are called accidental disclosures. This means the 10-year-old child didn’t necessarily tell her friend because she thought the friend would make the abuse stop — she was just sharing with her friend, which is what friends do.

The abuse potentially still could be happening to the 10-year-old if her friend hadn’t been brave enough to disclose her own experience and to encourage the 10-year-old to do the right thing. This friend knew that after she told an adult about her abuse, she was supported and connected to healing services.

The trickle-down effect was one of the silver linings as the abuse stopped for the 10-year-old and she is now safe from her abuser. She is making progress in her healing, and the offender is being held accountable because of these two courageous girls.

Look here to learn more about Children’s Home Child Advocacy Center.