Everyone is affected by the issues of child sexual abuse & incest. Everyone has the power to intercede but rarely does even one person exercise it.  Here are some of Darkness to Lights measurements of the full societal impact of sexual abuse:

The impact of child sexual abuse on our society is devastating.

Change can only happen when the secret is unleashed. Only when children learn their power and adults take responsibility for their safety will change occur. Only when survivors can release the secret of abuse and speak out will power be restored. There is power in numbers, and if only the 39,000,000 “reported” adult survivors in the U.S. were to take a stand to join in this movement, we could cause change. They must find their Voice that has been robbed. 

We must teach our kids.....“NO!” RUN! TELL!  We must teach them a plan of protection!

Incest is a serious taboo now morphing into a national tragedy. Defined by the dictionary, it is sexual intercourse between close relatives and is a statutory crime. It becomes a greater tragedy when the victim is a vulnerable child, and that is all too often. Incest is when sexual power is exerted over a child by a family member rendering the child powerless. Note that not all child sexual abuse is from a family member but as cited above 60% of all reported cases are incestuous. The tragedy is that a trust has been betrayed by a loved one. When children are violated and their power is taken from them, every other relationship in their life is compromised. The most important relationship is their relationship with God; the next most important relationship is with themselves.  Here is the bottom line: incest is a sickening deed that infects a child’s emotional, physical and spiritual development. It robs children of their power, their innocence and their identity. It is a crime that must be stopped.

Over. Is it ever over? The sexual abuse may be a one-time occurrence or it may have happened thousands of times over many years, and the recovery road may never truly end. As you witnessed from my journey of healing, the process was longer than the years of abuse. When a child carries the secret and then grows into an adult who carries the secret, it festers into further dysfunction. The secret must be released, and healing must take place in order for one’s real self to emerge. Sexual abuse causes fear, but fear and faith cannot be in control at the same time. I surrendered my fear to to a loving faith in Jesus Christ and there I found my peace, my joy and my healing!

Victory over the silent epidemic of incest and child sexual abuse will only happen when survivors who truly know the pain and grief bravely stand up to protect the children of the next generation and educate a society that has its head buried in the sand. God is with us in fighting this evil. Through His power we will succeed.

So few parents know how to protect their children from sexual abuse. It is time for adults to take the responsibility of sexual abuse for our children. There is a wonderful organization, Darkness to Light Foundation, based in South Carolina that has developed a 7-step program to prevent sexual child abuse and share response methods. The program is being taught nationwide.  It is my honor to be a trained facilitator with the Darkness to Light Foundation, teaching the 2 1/2 hour class to organizations and groups.  Contact us today to schedule a class for your organization or social group. 

I plead that you take a stand against this horrific evil. I plead that you stand up for your innocence and the innocence of the next child victim. I plead that you release the secret, stand in your rightful place and raise your rightful voice. I plead that you stand in the gap with me and others to help rid our world of incest. Let us not settle for anything less than total VICTORY!  Join our movement and make a difference.