Children Being Quarantined at Home With a Sexual Abuser are Some of the Most at Risk During This Crisis
(Los Angeles, CA) All across the country millions of children are being quarantined at home with a sexual abuser and we must be willing and prepared to help as many children as we can during this time.
-Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members. 2, 3
-The younger the victim, the more likely it is that the abuser is a family member. Of those molesting a child under six, 50% were family members. Family members also accounted for 23% of those abusing children ages 12 to 17.1
-About 60% of children who are sexually abused are abused by people the family trusts.2, 3
“As a survivor or childhood sexual assault by a family member, the thought of having to be in quarantine with my sexual abuser 24 hours a day is unfathomable. The lives of children who will be dramatically affected during this national crisis is something we can’t turn a blind eye to. I want all of those who are suffering silently to know that I am here with you, I feel your pain, and I share your heart,” said Shari Karney, attorney and founder of ROAR As One. “We need to collectively come to the rescue of those who we know or suspect are being held in a home prison of sexual abuse and provide resources for individuals and children so they can escape these atrocities. I am tasking our non-profit, ROAR As One, and encouraging all citizens to lobby to your senators, congressmen and the administration to take this as seriously as providing food and healthcare to those affected by the Covid-19 crisis,” she continued.
Resources for those who are being sexually assaulted and abused:
Please call 818.422.2197 or visit shari@roaras1.org or Roar as One media outreach director: natasha@roaras1.org
About ROAR As One:
ROAR As One seeks justice for survivors in a world that has silenced, shamed and blamed victims of sexual violence (sexual assault, child sexual abuse, campus assault, workplace sexual harassment, online sexual harassment and rape) while protecting and enabling their abusers. First, we must use our collective voices to create a safe space in which survival stories matter. Only through action and awareness can justice truly be achieved.
ROAR As One aims to change legislation nationwide granting survivors civil rights status so they can pursue justice. We advocate for new federal civil rights that would eliminate or restrict unfair statutes of limitations. Nationwide, current laws give perpetrators unlimited sexual access to women and children without fear of consequence or accountability to their victim. Our goal is to pursue justice for survivors and hold abusers accountable.
References:
- Snyder, H. N. (2000). Sexual assault of young children as reported to law enforcement: Victim, incident, and offender 9 characteristics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved January 12, 2009 fromhttp://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/saycrle.pdf
- Finkelhor, D. (2012). Characteristics of crimes against juveniles. Durham, NH: Crimes against Children Research Center.
- Whealin, J. (2007-05-22). “Child Sexual Abuse”. National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, US Department of Veterans Affairs.