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A Legislative Victory Supporting Survivors

October 22, 2024

Since 1981 in the United States, October has been recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence, otherwise known as intimate partner violence, is unfortunately very common according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), with “about 41% of women and 26% of men experiencing sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner…during their lifetime.” Unfortunately, intimate partner violence is not limited to adults. The CDC estimates 1 in 12 teenagers in the United States have experienced sexual or physical violence as a part of relationships, the majority of these victims identifying as female.

As the nuances of relationships grow in our society, abuse can be physical, sexual, psychological, with the latter occurring with increased frequency  in  recent years via the many varied forms of online communication. Thankfully in Massachusetts, recent legislation has been passed to protect all people of an increasingly common form of intimate partner violence by banning revenge porn and expanding protections against abuse and exploitation.

“Revenge porn” is a type of sexual abuse committed online by the sharing of nude or sexually explicit photos and/or videos of a person without their consent to shame or punish a current or former intimate partner. Other times, the threat of sharing this content is a way to control the person, often referred to as “sextortion,” which you can learn more about from a previous “Our Take” article here.

When discussing how these forms of abuse affect kids and teenagers there is an intersectionality of  this type of intimate partner violence,  when we are also talking about the distribution of child sexual abuse material. Since 2020, Children’s Cove has seen an increasing rate of our referrals for online sexual exploitation come in the form of peer-to-peer exploitation, often through means of sextortion or revenge porn.

This type of victimization is more than a one-time event, it is a moment in time of vulnerability or intimacy being shared without consent in perpetuity. The act is relieved and reshared for days, months, years and decades by those who consume the content of exploitation; thus, the survivor continues to be revictimized. In many instances, this form of abuse is characterized by the images/video being  targeted and shared directly with those who have meaningful roles in the child’s life, such as parents, teachers, coaches, members of their faith community or employers. It can be devastating to a person’s reputation, self-esteem, peer relationships, and wellbeing. Furthermore, the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and the production of “deepfakes” (realistic-looking image /video that has been manipulated to make it appear real) have only added to the complexities of this issue.

Fortunately, in June of this year, Governor Healey signed into law An Act to Prevent Abuse and Exploitation, which seeks to prevent abuse, increase protections for survivors, and educate youth about  “sexting”. This law further criminalizes and expands punishments for revenge porn, extends prohibition to deepfakes and AI generated images, and mandates education for youth surrounding these issues. As Lieutenant Governor Driscoll stated,

We applaud the Massachusetts Legislature and Executive Office for moving this legislation forward to making meaningful changes in support of survivors in Massachusetts. In addition, we want to recognize the hard work with our incredible community partners Independence House, A Safe Place Nantucket and CONNECT to End Violence. These incredible community partners work with those experiencing domestic violence and provide variety of helpful measures to individuals and families, including improving safety, support, and independence in their lives. The direct services team at Children’s Cove will often work collaboratively with these organizations when we are helping a child who has been abused or have witnessed the abuse of another in their home.

Children’s Cove partners with these regional sexual and domestic violence agencies to end violence and abuse on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. We know that sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation impacts people of all ages, genders, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomics.

If you would like to learn more about the free and confidential services available to our communities or provide information to someone who may need support, we are here to answer questions and offer help.

Learn how to access support services across the Cape & Islands here.

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A Gap in Child Protection in Massachusetts

August 15, 2024

As we move deeper into August, back to school shopping is underway while parents search for schedules, plan after-school activities, and get ready for the rush of Labor Day weekend. At the same time, school administrators are finalizing class schedules, planning in-service trainings and professional development for teachers, and classrooms are being prepared.

As a part of professional development opportunities, which mark the start of a new school year, our hope is that regional schools include training which focuses on their critical role in safety, and the prevention of abuse. Regardless, however, of trainings, important policies, and procedures, we know there is likely one critical gap which is often found unaddressed across our state: enforceable action against teachers who engage in inappropriate behavior with students aged 16 and older.

This has been a longstanding issue in Massachusetts with failed attempts at legislation dating as far back as 2009. However, in January of this year, a tragedy befell the New Bedford community with the death of Jacob Pothier, and a new light was cast upon the failures to protect this young man from a system designed to educate and protect him. For more than two years, a faculty member allegedly engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Jacob, regardless of reports to the school, which continued until the day he lost his life. While this brazen engagement in an inappropriate relationship with a student in a school setting may seem implausible to many, there is one major reason why it still takes place: there is no legal means by which an adult or person with power, control or authority can be held accountable if a child has reached the age of 16 – the legal age of consent in Massachusetts.

This fact leads to not only a gray area for school policies and procedures, but also provides a loophole for those who have intent to engage in sexual or other inappropriate behaviors with teens to escape justice, and to continue offending. Let’s break it down: when we look at the profiles of those who have a history of sexually abusing children outside of their home or families, there is a large connection between their work or community presence and direct interaction with children. This can include childcare and early education workers, pediatricians, children’s entertainers and, of course, teachers. When these offenders choose to apply for a job at a school, they will also learn all about the school’s child-protection policies to identify any weaknesses or loopholes which they can exploit to offend or harm children. And unfortunately, in Massachusetts, the largest gap in child protection is not from the school’s policies and procedures, but from Massachusetts law itself.

This glaring oversight of law is astounding to acknowledge, given the fact Massachusetts is a state which has long prided itself as being at the forefront of education in our nation. The Commonwealth falls behind other states in child protection as reported by the New Bedford Light, states such as North Carolina, Washington, and our fellow New England state of Maine have specific statutes identifying sexual relationships between students and teachers / faculty as a crime. Another critical element of these statutes is the requirement to have offenders register specifically as sex offenders. This is critical, because when individuals apply for jobs working with children, they are required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, and a Sex Offender Registration Information check. However, due to the lack of legislation in Massachusetts, when school personnel use their positions to take advantage of students beyond the age of consent are caught, they simply resign and move on to another school district.

Locally, this is not a new issue, with an inappropriate and sexual relationship between a teacher and a student at D-Y Regional High School making the news through the Cape Cod Times and community chatrooms in 2015. This case resulted in a slightly better outcome, with the offender agreeing to surrender his teaching license. However, the conversation has remained the same, legislation stalled, and statutes remained unchanged ever since.

What we have described is an unconscionable gap of child protection upon which the state seemingly refuses to act. This coupled with the fact that there remains no legal requirement for schools to educate child sexual abuse prevention marks a blemish on our record of education and civil rights.

For now, Children’s Cove will continue to work with our 11 other partner Children’s Advocacy Centers – at no cost – to provide education and training to schools and youth-serving organizations to better recognize and respond to abuse. Additionally, we will collaborate with Safe Kids Thrive through the Massachusetts Children’s Trust to provide prevention strategies and tool kits to prevent abuse.

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Summer Programs are Critical to Abuse Prevention and Recognition

June 17, 2024

Schools at every grade level across the country are one of the most critical youth-serving organizations (YSO) for recognizing, responding to and reporting abuse and crimes against children. You can see the critical impact schools have on recognizing abuse by our past article The Frontline of Recognizing Abuse: Teachers here. However, there are other organizations at different times of year who are just important in this endeavor of creating safe communities for children, ones not often thought about. As schools let out for the summer, other YSOs in Massachusetts are preparing for their summer sessions, it is critical these organizations are committed to preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.

Child safety is more than handbooks, policies and procedures; however, they are a critical place to start. Our Partners at The Children’s Trust and the Safe Kids Thrive provide everything youth-serving organizations need to build policies and best practices around child abuse prevention. This month they highlighted some ways to increase the elements of safety in organizations serving children this summer:

• Verify that all staff and volunteers acknowledge, understand, agree with, and sign your Code of Conduct. Include a Code of Ethics outlining your commitment to keep kids safe.
• Ensure leadership models appropriate behavior and promotes positive interactions among staff and children. Encourage staff to view safety as a priority and mutual responsibility of all.
• Create opportunities to talk with all staff about abuse prevention policies and build comfort with this topic. Communicate your policies and protocols to all stakeholders, including the parents and families of the children you serve.
• Remind staff and volunteers to honor their duties and responsibilities as mandated reporters under MA law. Train all staff and volunteers on when, how, and to whom to report suspected abuse or disclosures of abuse.
• Check driving records and ensure drivers responsible for the transportation of children have adequate credentials. Ensure that all staff and volunteers participating in off-site activities adhere to policies on transportation.

-These highlights are provided to you by Safe Kids Thrive.

Second, while it is important for YSOs to have these policies and procedures in place, it is all the more critical that all staff, counselors and even administrative staff receive adequate training. Knowing what each person’s role is in the greater role of child abuse prevention and safety creates an atmosphere of safety. The message delivered by YSO administration should be “these policies are non-negotiable values of the organization.” Training team members on an annual basis, as well as effective training on how to recognize and respond to abuse (as provided for free by the Children’s Cove Education and Training team) should be a regular strategy.

Third, parents need to be involved and ask about a YSO’s policies on protecting children. Safety and prevention starts with you. It starts with conversations you have with your children, teaching them about body safety, child sexual abuse, appropriate boundaries, and what to do if a child feels unsafe.  In addition, parents need to have direct conversations with your children’s schools and summer programs about how they recognize, respond to, and report abuse. This holds everyone accountable for the safety of children.

It takes a community to protect our children. It takes responsibility, accountability, transparency, and conversations about the public health and safety of children. All children deserve a community free from abuse, where their voices are heard, and where they can live safe, healthy and empowered lives.

If you would like support as a parent, community member, youth-serving organization, in learning how to keep children safe and prevent abuse, please contact Jacob Stapledon, Community Engagement and Education Program Manager at Jacob.Stapledon@childrenscove.org to discuss your needs or request a free education session or training.

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When Information, Access, and Reporting Goes Too Far

April 23, 2024

In the United States, since 1983 Child Abuse Prevention Month is annually observed by presidential proclamation throughout the month of April. It is a critical time to raise awareness of our nation’s child abuse crisis. The statistics remain overwhelmingly alarming that one in four girls — and one in six boys — will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. Most victims suffer in silence as it is estimated that more than 90 percent of abuse victims never report what happened to them. Even more disturbing is that more than 90 percent of perpetrators are someone an abused child knows and trusts – a coach, camp counselor, teacher, someone in their faith community, or a family member.

This month child safety advocates across the state and nation are urging communities to come together to make a difference, often to encourage parents, caregivers, and community members to have wider conversations about the issues, talk with children about body and online safety, and how to ask for help if something happens. This year is no different, however, we would like to call forward another important issue.

Just two years after the annual recognition of child abuse prevention month, the first Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) was established in Huntsville Alabama.  For nearly 40 years CACs have worked to improve investigations and healthy outcomes for children. A major focus of the work of CACs is to reduce the re-traumatization of children by minimizing repeated interviews detailing the intimate and graphic details of their abuse. We strive to ensure that when a child has discussed what has happened to them, that unless it is critically necessary or for purposes of prosecution, if a child chooses not to talk about their trauma again, they won’t have to. For when we think about our darkest memories and experiences, we tend to relive them viscerally. However, there is an increasing issue in our society where at times victims must relive their trauma and experiences further in a very public way.

As public interest of major incidents of child sexual abuse and exploitation has grown over the years, so has the reporting around it. Unfortunately, the rush to be first for reporting cases involving child sexual abuse has taken priority over the important questions about what information is being reported, and whether it serves the public interest for safety. We have seen a dramatic increase in print, televised, and social media reporting on active cases of child sexual abuse which goes far beyond the scope of public’s need-to-know. This has included intimate details of sexual abuse and assault, children’s statements in police reports, and the over-describing of the relationship between alleged perpetrators and victims. We have seen cases where photographs of children who may have been victims in cases of family violence have been pulled from private social media accounts and rebroadcasted. What’s more, there have been instances where information included in reports which identified the victims through association or unnecessary ancillary details.  Worst of all, reporting which portrays victims in the light they are at fault and/or undermines the credibility of a child.

At best, this is the result of a lack of understanding of best practices in reporting and the critical importance of not identifying victims of sexual crimes (especially children.) At worst, and at the crux of the issue, we are placing a child’s most devastating trauma on full display for shock value. Through digital media, social media, and the increased speed at which anyone can access information, not only can child victims be identified in their own community and publicly confronted with their trauma, but victims themselves by being exposed to this reporting will relive their trauma again. The fear that “everyone will find out” is an incredible barrier for victims to come forward for support, and the intense reporting of these cases only adds to this, especially with the venom and vitriol of social media commentary.

There are some who choose to share their stories of abuse, explain how it happened, and the impact it has had on their lives.  They are survivors who have been through the processes of the investigation, potential prosecution, and received supportive services. Most importantly, they have made their own choice about what to share, what not to share, and most often leave out the intimate details of what happened. The type of reporting we have seen nationally has been the opposite of this.

Our fascination with the traumatization of others – abuse, murder, exploitation – through social media, TV shows, and movies has translated into the over-exposure of a victims experience through media reporting. Clicks, views, and media ratings cannot untangle the web of complex trauma, it will only add to it and reduce the possibility that others will come forward.

Culturally, we need to ask how we wish to contribute to the prevention and trauma-informed response to child abuse. Is the solution in reporting the details of what the victim experienced, or in the charges against the alleged perpetrator and a focus on their actions? Is it creating narratives which undermine the credibility and support of victims, or can we educate and inform what charges mean, and what local resources for sexual abuse and assault victims are and how to access them?

We can create a world where children are free of abuse, have a voice that is heard, and where they enjoy healthy, safe, and empowered lives. It’s small, transformative steps such as this which will help us get there.

We are Your Local Resource

We want to ensure that those who have the responsibility to report the news have the opportunity to request and receive training and consultation for best practices. If you would like to learn more about ways to report cases in a trauma-informed fashion, please reach out to Jacob Stapledon, Community Engagement and Education Program Manager by emailing him at jacob.stapledon@childrenscove.org 

There are additional resources for media sources on our website here.

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