April is both Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Awareness month. The following article is the first article of a four-week series focusing on raising awareness about sexual assault and One-in-five men will experience a form of sexual assault in their lifetime.
Roxanne’s House is Hays Caldwell Women’s Center Children’s Advocacy Center. It is a child-friendly facility with trained staff specializing in child abuse issues including licensed counselors, forensic interviewers, and advocates. The purpose of Roxanne’s House is to assist children in healing after abuse. Our forensic interviewers have the privilege to be trusted with listening to children tell their stories of being sexually abused, sometimes for the very first time. HCWC’s adult counselors often work with clients that seek our services for victimization they experienced when they were children but never received help for. This is often because the clients are just now able to talk about the abuse.
On the surface, it seems simple. If somebody hurts you, why not just tell right away? The reasons that kids may not disclose are many, and below are some of the more common factors.
