How to talk to your children about sexual abuse
In recent weeks, News Channel Three has been following child sex abuse cases locally with the arrest of Devin Lujan and James Anderson and at the national front with the Epstein sexual abuse case.
On Thursday, News Channel Three spoke to the Director of Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, John Thoresen who says how they are working with parents and children involved in the local cases to help them feel safe moving forward.
“Law-enforcement escorts a child here on an average of every single day,” Thoresen told News Channel Three.
The center helps children who have suffered the trauma of abuse, and they also conduct all of the forensic interviews and medical exams for law enforcement in suspected abuse cases.
“Abuse is really an epidemic,” he shared. “As an example, the population of the Coachella Valley is less than 20% of Riverside County, but we have seen over 1/3 of the abuse cases in the county.”
Most recently, the center is assisting parents and children affected by the alleged sexual abuse linked to George Washington Charter School and Bermuda Dunes Learning Center.
“Our outreach coordinator has been to the Bermuda Dunes facility for three different sessions and I think those are pretty large sessions,” Thoresen said.
In those sessions, a clinical therapist shows animated videos to the children to help explain to them what may have happened in these abuse cases. The therapist teaches parents how to protect their children from abusive situations and how to explain to kids what constitutes child abuse.
“It is really important for children to understand what is safe and unsafe touching,” he said. “I think any child needs to understand if someone touches your body underneath where your bathing suit would be, that’s an unsafe touch,” he added.
Thoresen advices all parents or guardians to watch the free videos with their children online and discuss them afterwards. You can find the kindergarten through 3rd grade and fourth grade through 6th grade videos at Fightchildabuse.org
