By Barton Deiters
Grand Rapids Press
September 5, 2011
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/09/clusters_of_child_sexual_abuse.html
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| James Valkema sobs as the teen girl he had sex with gives a statement last year during his sentencing at the Kent County Circuit Court. Valkema also spoke, expressing great regret and remorse. Judge Mark Trusock sentenced Valkema to at least eight years in prison. |
BYRON CENTER – One father looks at the seeming plethora of sexual assault accusations made against a pastor, a soccer coach, a youth activity leader and a school bus driver and he remembers how hard it can be for those coming forward.
His daughter was the object of sexual desire by a former teacher at South Christian High School in Cutlerville. James Bruce Valkema eventually pleaded guilty to having sex with the 15-year-old and is serving out his 8- to 40- year prison sentence.
"She knew what was happening was wrong," said the father who remains unidentified to protect the identity of the victim – his daughter. "She couldn't stand keeping the secret and she came forward. She took the high road."
But the process was painful. Even though 33-year-old Valkema pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, the teen found herself an object of scorn and judgment from some supporters of Valkema, her father said.
The girl changed schools and has given up athletics and other social events she previously enjoyed.
"She's cocooned herself," said her dad. "She's not the same girl she used to be. I'm not the same guy I was before this happened. It has been very disheartening."
The father said although his daughter continues to heal, she feels it was worth it to make sure that no one else was ever victimized as she was.
"Guys like this need to be punished," he said. "I encourage every victim to come forward."
Sue Powers is a therapist at the Children's Assessment Center in Grand Rapids which assists law enforcement in the objective, professional interviewing and assessment of child victims of alleged sexual assault.
Powers says often kids fail to recognize that people in a position of authority are capable of doing anything harmful to them.
Therefore children can often acquiesce to the predator's admonition that the abuse be their secret and will not report the abuse even to their parent.
"There was a case where an abuser told a young boy that if he told, his mother would be taken away from him," Powers said. "So he protected his mother for years."
She says it is common for disclosures to come years after the abuse occurs. It often occurs when child victims become adults and realize that the behavior perpetrated against them was not normal.
According to the Center's statistics, almost half of Kent County's 6,000 to 8,000 child sexual abuse cases occurs against children younger than 6 years old. The majority of those children are white and 62 percent of those children abused are girls.
Of those cases, the FBI estimates the national average for reported cases is less than 10 percent of those that actually occur.
She said often when cases do break, they do so in clusters. She said it can be that when victims know that other victims are coming forward, it helps ease the process to some degree.
"I think people can feel empowered when there are reports in the media about the abuse," Powers said.
"Lots of these kids feel like they're alone, like they are the only one this has ever happened to."
She said part of the answer is for parents to talk to their children and let them know that if something happens to them, they are able to safely talk about what has happened to them.
"Children need to be able to talk to an adult they trust," Powers said.
Contact: bdeiters@grpress.com
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