The Toughest Job of All

Message From the President and CEO

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt, President and CEO

Crime prevention practitioners, social workers, and many other specialists are all too familiar with the horrors of child abuse. They know how children can be damaged for life and families ripped apart by this terrible crime. According to Justice Department figures, more than 20 percent of all children are sexually abused before the age of eight, and one in five children is solicited sexually while on the Internet. Worse, nearly 70 percent of all reported sexual assaults occur to children age 17 and under.

The days when abusers were old men in rumpled clothing hiding behind trees are being eclipsed by technology. The stereotypical abusers are still a great danger, but nowadays a predator might be a sophisticated online user trying to lure a child to a meeting at the mall. Worse still, graphic images of children might be displayed for adults to view, as described in an article in this issue of Catalyst that tells how the FBI’s Innocent Images Initiative has been so successful in stopping this kind of crime and arresting the criminals behind it.

Hunting down these criminals is a job for law enforcement. But adults can prevent or lessen the chance of sexual abuse by telling kids that it’s okay to say no if someone makes them feel uncomfortable by making advances—online or in person—toward them; teaching kids that respect does not mean blind obedience to adults and to authority if they sense danger; and encouraging professional prevention programs in the local school system.

We can also help children in other ways. We can teach them about how to stay safe on the Internet and how not to get lured into online conversations with people they don’t know, and how never to agree to meet someone in person they’ve met online. We know that if we tell them, kids can learn to never give out their personal information, such as their address, phone number, name of their school, or where they go after school. Much more important, we can teach them to trust their parents and go to them if they ever feel uncomfortable or “funny” about someone or what that person may want or has done.

After all, we are on the front line. The education we impart and the trust we show in our children is their best defense against sexual abuse. Sometimes, protecting our kids may remind us of Sisyphus, the ancient Greek figure who pushed a boulder uphill time after time only to have it roll down again on top of him each time he almost got it to the top. Our job is tougher, however. Sisyphus never succeeded in getting that boulder over the top of the hill and keeping it there, while we must always succeed in protecting our children from the predators and criminals who would seek to harm them. Unlike Sisyphus, we don’t get any second chances when it comes to protecting our children.