Therapist discusses how to protect children from being victimization following CVUSD teacher arrest

In light of the arrest of a Coachella Valley Unified teacher for lewd acts with a minor, News Channel 3 is speaking with officials on what the public should know to protect their children.

For years, "It Happens to Boys," has raised awareness around sexual abuse experienced by young boys.

The annual conference hosted in Palm Desert hopes to break the stigma around male victims and also educate the public on the physical, emotional, and mental toll of sexual abuse.

A keynote speaker this year, Daniel Marquez, shared his own sexual abuse experience with News Channel 3's Athena Jreij.

"I actually got sober in 1999, and I had went into the Betty Ford Center outpatient program. While I was in there, discovering stuff about ourselves, the emotional stuff, I revealed that I was sexually abused as a as a boy," Marquez said.

He says since getting sober, he's been on a path of healing and self-forgiveness, and it's why he works with the "It Happens to Boys" founder, Carol Teitelbaum, to break the stigma around child sexual abuse.

According to Teitelbaum, who has worked to raise awareness around sex crimes for decades, the abuse happens not because of sex, but power.

"The perpetrator is usually someone who doesn't have a lot of power in the real world."

Teitelbaum says parents should educate their children on healthy boundaries with adults, while also keeping an eye on unusual behavior.

"Teach them my is my body. No one's allowed to touch my body without my permission. Nobody, not a teacher, not even your parents, not your grandparents."

"Oftentimes parents will go, it's just a teenager, but you really got to watch what is the behavior? Have they changed? Their grades start going down. They're going to be using maybe drugs and alcohol. They'll take really long showers or refuse to take showers. They don't want to get undressed in front of anybody, not even their parents. They don't want to go to the doctor anymore," Teitelbaum said.

“It Happens to Boys”
When: Friday, February 21, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Karns Hall at Saint Margaret’s Church, 47535 Highway 74, Palm Desert, CA
Cost: $100.00, includes lunch
For more information, visit creativechangeconferences.com or call 760-346-4606.