The New Republic’s Post

This article written by Roxanna Asgarian is the most raw and important feature I’ve ever participated in. My work has always been about centering the healing of children and in the beginning, I thought that’s what all of us wanted. I was wrong. “Looked at from the point of view of the victims, it’s not an overstatement to say that America’s typical approach to child sex abuse is practically nonfunctional. Victims are not getting what they need—they’re not getting accountability, and they’re not getting healing. Vanishingly few of them feel safe enough even to speak privately about their experiences, much less publicly. Given how widespread the problem is, society’s failure to meaningfully confront it is all the more shameful. But what do these children need? What does justice—real justice, offering some measure of closure and healing—look like for the victims of child sexual abuse? Is there a better way?” If these voices make you uncomfortable and angry, I want you to consider why it’s always ‘believe survivors’ and ‘survivor-led’ until one of us says the systems created to help us are retraumatizing us and our children. Are we helping survivors or are we building altars to our own self-importance as rescuers rather than listening to them and changing our systems to match? Are we offering healing or at some point, did our service become that of a hostage negotiator within systems that threaten survivors, their families, and their ability to be well in the future? Read the stories.  Explore the evidence.  Learn from what my work with child survivors of sexual abuse, their families, nonprofit partners, government agencies, and public institutions has taught me. It’s not an easy read but learning in real time was even more painful. Still worth it. I also want to thank Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Alisa Zipursky, Amita Swadhin, MPA, and the many survivors who trusted me with their truth. Whether they were children, parents, activists, or private witnesses who whispered messages to me secretly, you changed everything for me. Read below. Share widely. 💕 https://lnkd.in/gg3YbF4W