In April of 2024, my second book launched. Everyone Was Silent: A memoir* tells the story of my experience with sibling sexual abuse. Soon after the book hit Amazon, the DMs started to flow in—individuals writing to say, “Me too.” It didn’t take me long to figure out these messages represented an opportunity to learn
When you hear the term, “sex offender,” who do you imagine? A leering man in a windowless van? An oddball uncle or a coach? Most people picture a creepy male sexual predator. However, when I visualize my abuser, I see a smiling female sex offender who was an elementary teacher, a pillar of the community.
If you’re curious as to what the future of child abuse prevention looks like, allow me to offer some insight. From the 2024 Annual Envision Conference put on by Johns Hopkins University’s Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse out of the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The goal of the conference, titled,
My new book, Everyone Was Silent, is now available! Purchase it here. Are you familiar with the phrase sibling sexual abuse? The term is sometimes referred to as SSA. Many people know of the issue thanks to the Amazon Prime original documentary, “Shiny Happy People,” featuring the Duggar family of “19 Children and Counting” fame.
Are the kids you love safe online? When it comes to keeping children safe, lack of knowledge regarding kids’ online safety equals vulnerability, in my opinion. In case you’re a little behind on this topic, I’m going to review my top three child safety tips when it comes to your kids’ online activity. Stay informed Consider
Do you know what a child advocacy center is? Usually referred to as a “CAC?” Taylor Shultz, Director of Awareness and Development at the Monongalia County Child Advocacy Center, provided this guest post. What is a Child Advocacy Center (CAC)? The idea of a child advocacy center–aka CAC–was created to address the distressing and often
How to get started as a body safety educator A young woman contacted me recently saying, “I’m really interested in body safety practices for children so they can feel empowered in their bodies. Do you have any tips for getting started in this field?” As a professional who writes and speaks to children and adults
How does child sexual abuse, or any trauma really, impact a person—body and soul? In his brilliant book, The Body Keeps the Score,* Bessel van der Kolk M.D. outlines the effects trauma can have on the body. According to van der Kolk, “Trauma is an event that overwhelms the central nervous system, altering the way
What does it look like when someone is plotting and planning a not-so-nice future with another individual, adult or child? I discovered the formula for abuse—relational and/or sexual—in Sandy Kirkham’s riveting memoir about her abuse experience at the hands of her youth pastor. Read on if you’re wondering: Am I being groomed for (sexual) abuse?
Does your child know what consent is? If you’ve not yet discussed consent with the kids you’re raising, make sure to schedule a time to chat about it before school starts. Because really, consent is the foundation of child safety. When you explain consent to your kids, make sure they also understand body (or bodily)
