Because what we do is so important, our agency wants to hear from the people we work with to ensure that we are making a difference in their lives.

Children who have been abused or exposed to domestic violence think that the abuse or violence is their fault. It is our goal to instill in their minds that the abuse was definitely not their fault.

Abuse in any form is placing blame on the child and because a child's mind is like a sponge, they believe that it is their fault. They are told not to tell anyone what happened. Our trained professionals, through group or individual therapy help them to know that this is not true. In some cases, some of our kids have been on the verge of suicide and with the help of their peers and therapy, we have been able to turn them around. It is because of these successes that we have asked our families to share their stores and here are some:

I'm four and scared...

A four year old boy was referred to Family Alliance, our therapy program for sexual abuse. He was acting out with behavioral problems and very afraid that the boys who abused him would come back to hurt him again. He was in foster care at the time. After working with him for several months, his anxiety and acting out behaviors began to decrease. He became more social and content. He then met his adoptive parents, became quickly attached and wanted to live with them as soon as possible. This occurred in about two months, he flourished in his new environment and met all of his treatment goals. The adoption went well and the client stood up in court and told the judge his new full name. He was very proud and happy and his behaviors are normalized and is doing well at home and school.

Let's call her Dee....

Dee came to CAC approximately one year ago. She was referred from local law enforcement following a sexual assault by two male acquaintances. The alleged perpetrators reportedly put drugs in her drink, had sex with her and then dumped her naked, in a field near her home. Her family was in shock and immediately blamed Dee for her alcohol use and poor judgment. Dee began therapy against her wishes and refused to talk in the first few sessions and thought therapy was "gay". She proceeded to fail most of her classes, withdraw from her parents and overeat to mask her feelings.

Following a year in treatment, her mother came to realize the dynamics of sexual assault and no longer blamed Dee for the assault and realized she needed to support her daughter. Dee's mom recently graduated from her parent group and was a support to many other parents experiencing similar issues. Dee has been actively involved in treatment. She insists on "going first" in group to share her feelings and input about topics related to sexual abuse. She has encouraged many other teens not to give up on their parents and often pushes others to share in group. She has actively participated in three community presentations on sexual assault during which she volunteered her time for the planning and preparation process.

Dee is presently attending school and has drastically improved her school performance. She is interested in pursuing a college education with a major in elementary education. Dee would like to continue to be an advocate for victims of sexual abuse. She is preparing for graduation from the teen therapy group and often shares what would be lost had it not been for the support she received from CAC. She describes the center as a safe place where she can talk about her true feelings with other teens and feel understood.

Bobby...

Bobby had several grown children and two pre-teen daughters living in the home. When it was recommended he attend parenting classes at Children's Advocacy Center by the Department of Children and Families, his wife and the mother of the girls was in jail and he was in the role of a single parent.

Bobby had a temper and was easily frustrated by the struggles of raising the girls on his own. The girls were getting into trouble at school and he had difficulty filling the role of mom and dad. The family was enrolled in classes, the adult parenting group for Bobby and the children's group for the girls. Initially, Bobby resisted attending. He had poor reading comprehension and tested low in pre-testing. The family had spotty attendance and were often late because of after school activities. An extension was requested to give the family a chance to attend regularly.

During this time, mom was released from jail, the girls finished their school sports activities and dad attended classes regularly. With the extension, Bobby's test scores improved into the average range, which indicated he was benefiting from the program. The girls' group participation also improved as they gained skills in problem solving, managing stress and anger, learning about peer pressure and the importance of following family rules.