One in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before age 18. Of these children, approximately 30 percent never utter a single word about their experience.
The median age of reported abuse is 9 years old. Nine. The only worries a 9-year-old should have are multiplication tables and whether mom packed bologna or PB&J for lunch, not whether a visiting family friend will inappropriately touch his or her leg under the dinner table.
Unless you are personally a victim of sexual abuse, it is difficult to comprehend the spectrum of emotions a sexually abused child often experiences. Overwhelming guilt, fear, depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction and a host of other emotions and symptoms plague the minds and bodies of those who were abused. These children are so emotionally — and oftentimes physically — scarred, that it makes it extremely difficult for them to find the courage to tell someone about what happened.
Imagine a woman who was sexually assaulted as a young girl. She has grown up harboring the secret for years, afraid to trust those around her, afraid to tell anyone what happened because she is ashamed and scared of the consequences. She has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on therapists, sleep medications, doctors and countless other “solutions” in an attempt to understand why she was victimized and how she can get past the trauma of her ordeal.
At age 36, she has finally found the courage to speak out against her attacker. She hires a lawyer and sets out to sue the man who terrorized her during childhood and has haunted her dreams as an adult, only to find out that she is too late.
As of now, Wis. Stat. Ann. ?893.587 states that in Wisconsin, a victim of sexual assault during childhood is barred from suing the perpetrator once the victim has reached age 35. How can a law put a statute of limitations on a victim’s right to seek justice and monetary compensation for the pain they have endured for years?
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault is lobbying to have the Child Victims Act replace the current statute of limitations. A time limit should not be put on the healing process. Jeanie Kurka Reimer, executive director of the WCASA, said in a statement on Oct. 22, “Child sexual abuse is deeply traumatic. When a child victim matures, he or she may be understandably reluctant to relive feelings of trauma and embarrassment. It can take several decades for a person to reach the point where they feel psychologically and emotionally ready to be able to report these crimes.”
Neither the state nor the national government has taken adequate steps to protect the victims of child sexual abuse. A map of registered sex offenders, GPS tracking devices and pedophile-free areas are only useful tools when the perpetrator has been identified. Allowing the repressed victims to come forward and seek justice will not only serve as a healing process, but will also result in more criminals being identified and held accountable for their actions.
Generally, sexual predators have not just attacked one child. Approximately 70 percent of child sex offenders have assaulted between one and nine victims and at least 20 percent have assaulted anywhere between 10 to 40 victims. When a victim finds the courage to share the burden of their experience, they are helping to prevent the same tragedy from happening to another innocent child.
Since the retraction of the statute of limitations in California, more than 300 pedophiles have been identified. It is obvious there are survivors who are desperate to have their voices heard.
The emotional and mental scars resulting from childhood sexual abuse do not disappear after one reaches 35. Right now, the government has the opportunity to give countless victims who have been silenced the chance to come forth and take a step toward the beginning of a new life — a life devoid of fear, of guilt, of anxiety and of questions.
If you are the victim of childhood sexual assault and need to talk to a professional, please contact the Dane County Rape Crisis Center’s Ongoing Support and Victim Services at (608)256-6389.
Chelsea Lawliss ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.
