MAINE
Courier
Ben Meiklejohn
SOUTHERN MAINE – For victims of sexual abuse, the process of healing can take years, even decades. And some survivors may live the remainder of their lives without reaching closure.
Children who are molested are taught by abusers to keep secrets. Or they are told they will be in trouble if they reveal what happened.
These are just some of the challenges faced by sexually abused children, said Julia Davidson, a sexual assault response team program manager for Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine. Davidson said she and her co-workers help survivors at all stages – by being in the hospital immediately after an incident or guiding a person through the trial process. The organization works to help survivors reach their goals, including providing access to mental health services and helping law enforcement officials prosecute abusers.
Davidson said many people call the SARSSM hotline and disclose their abuse for the first time. The most important for any person to whom abuse is being disclosed by a victim, said Davidson, is to believe them.
“The first thing we do is we tell them that we believe them and that what happened is not their fault,” Davidson said. “What we know from our work is that a primary indicator of long term public health is that a youngster is believed and supported when they try to disclose for the first time. When they’re told to get over it and move on … keeping it secret can cause longstanding trauma.”
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