TAALK is committed to talking about every aspect of the child sexual abuse pandemic in an effort to educate the public and model what it looks like to talk about sexual abuse comfortably. There are people all over the world who have a heart for children and are called to protect them and help survivors of all ages heal. The following interviews provide a glimpse of what child sexual abuse experts and advocates around the world are doing to put an end to this pandemic as well as the damaging consequences. We hope you find them both informative and inspiring.
These interviews were recorded as part of two radio marathons we called TAALK-a-Thons. The first was held in April 2011 and the second was held in December 2011. We started each of these programs at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time and our Founder, Diane Cranley, followed the sun around the world, interviewing guest speakers for 24 hours straight covering a variety of topics related to child sexual abuse awareness, prevention and support.
You have the opportunity to learn from 96 experts, in 15 countries, who have the brightest minds and the biggest hearts. I encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunity by listening to as many of these interviews as you can, especially if you plan to be an advocate in your community.
In this segment, we will focus on how New Zealanders have created a national network for addressing sexual violence which incorporates indigenous and non-indigenous community members in the prevention effort.
Read more: The National Network for Rape Prevention in New Zealand
We’ll spend the next hour exploring the residential healing program by the Heal For Life Foundation in Australia. Their unique and affordable retreats provide a safe loving place where survivors of all ages can begin to heal from child sexual abuse and trauma. The programs are run by carers who are also survivors and therefore understand your pain, confusion, and suffering and can truly walk along side you.
Read more: Who Knows What Survivors Need, Better Than Survivors
Learn about the child sexual abuse epidemic landscape in Europe including the role of The Council of Europe, legal instruments being used to combat sexual violence, current challenges being faced including child pornography and cybercrime and examples of current practices in member states.
In this hour, we'll discuss the current state of the child sexual abuse pandemic in Hong Kong and the unique cultural pressures that feed the problem. In addition, we'll learn about the great strides they're making in healing survivors through a variety of approaches including music, art and drama therapy.
Read more: The Journey of Sexual Trauma Treatment - From Surviving to Living
Learn about the process, challenges and ultimate success of creating and marketing a new community child sexual abuse prevention initiative.
Survivors are uniquely qualified to teach us how abuse happens and how to prevent it. Even more important, those who have had the courage to cross the bridge from victim to a place of peace can inspire and guide others to do the same. We will have the opportunity in this hour to experience the encouragement and wisdom of two such survivors as they share their stories of abuse and how they're advocacy work is making a difference.
There are many things that make a child vulnerable to sexual abuse and we'll look at two scenarios that we can all learn from. First, we'll explore a coach-athlete relationship and how one pedophile used his position of power to his advantage. We'll also explore how some pedophiles travel to other countries where kids are more vulnerable. We'll discuss how in both cases, we can spot offenders' activities and protect kids.
Read more: Offenders Looking for the Vulnerable - A Swedish Perspective
The child sexual abuse statistics in the Philippines are similar to that of other countries, impacting 18% of their children with 50% of those children abused by family members. Since 1997, the Child Protection Network as successfully created a network of child protection specialists and opened 40 child protection units across the country that provide a child friendly environment using a multidisciplinary approach and networking to delivery medical, psychological, social, and legal services to abused children and their families. Join us as we learn about this successful and highly effective model.
Understand how the standard medical model of diagnosis often fails to heal patients by focusing on the obvious symptoms rather than the underlying cause. You'll receive an introduction to the idea of trauma-informed care and practice across service systems.
Learn how one non-profit in Australia is significantly impacting the child sexual abuse epidemic through their creative and highly visable public awareness campaign and how they have partnered with their local police to encourage disclosures from adult survivors which help the police spot trends of perpetrators that can be used in current case investigations.
Learn about the great strides being made in Israel in the area of both child sexual abuse prevention and treatment as well as the challenges they have overcome and continue to face in the area of program responsibility, funding and offender management.
Read more: Treatment and Prevention Programs for Child Sexual Abuse in Israel
Gain an understanding of how chronic distress such as sexual boundary violations creates lifelong health issues by weakening of the immune, hormone and nervous systems and how the lack of reasoning around complex health issues stemming from abuse results in continued emotional disturbance similar to that of the original violation. Thus the importance of recognizing the connection between health issues and the underlying cause.
Read more: Embodied Violations : The Impact of Toxic Stress on Human Health
Raise your level of awareness about the risks of sexual abuse in Children's Homes and how history can teach us to minimize the risk. Also learn about extraordinary work being done to keep siblings connected when they've been placed in separate homes.
Read more: Children in Care: Lessons Learned and Keeping Siblings Connected
India's huge population, vast demographic differences and socio cultural complexities present challenges to addressing child sexual abuse. Get an insight and be inspired by four professionals from varied backgrounds who are breaking off chunks from the rock of denial, diffidence, ignorance and paranoia which epitomize the context.
Read more: It Can Only Get Better: Addressing Child Sexual Abuse in India
An ordinary memory sits like a photograph in a family album. It’s always available to visit by thumbing through the album. A trauma memory is not pasted into the photo album; like getting lost in the attic of our mind, it goes into the unconscious. Dissociation happens when a trauma memory becomes a photo ripped into pieces and scattered across the attic floor. Join us as we learn about a powerful novel that has taken the dry discussion of trauma memories and dissociation and turned it into a powerful and moving experience of a young girl’s journey and struggle with dissociation.
In this first segment, we are going to take the time to talk about Jerry Sandusky and the Penn State case as well as the broader topic of child sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations. We’re going to use the Jerry Sandusky case as case study and guideline for concerns that we see in youth-serving organizations and how we can put very specific boundaries and policies in place to protect kids in those environments.
Read more: Jerry Sandusky: A Case Study for Boundaries in Youth-Serving Organizations
The legal process that surrounds child sexual abuse cases can be overwhelming to say the least. What is the legal process after your child discloses and you report? What kind of evidence does the District Attorney need to file charges? What are the statute of limitations for adult survivors? What are your rights as a victim in the criminal court process? Can you sue your perpetrator or the organization they worked for in civil court? Join us as we explore the legal aspects of sexual abuse cases with a formal prosecutor and a criminal lawyer who specializes in victim’s rights and the trial attorney who represents abuse victims in civil court.
When crisis strikes how can we make the legal and recovery process as easy as possible for the victims and their families? We’ll have the opportunity to explore two successful models.
Read more: Child Trafficking and the Prostitution of Teens in Our Neighborhoods
Sensationalized story of stranger danger? A true reflection of the impact of abuse by our inner circle? Or a focus on prevention? - What does the media portray? The Berkeley Media Studies Group researched a specific period in time to see what the media was writing about with regards to child sexual abuse and we'll talk with the lead researcher to understand her findings and discuss the impact of those findings.
Read more: The Role of the Media in the Resolution of the Child Sexual Abuse Pandemic
There's no better way to understand the impact of child sexual abuse than to experience the pain and healing through the angelic voice of a survivor. You will be moved to anger and to tears as you join Cici on her journey, as she shares it with you through song.
Gain an understanding of age appropriate sexual behavior, how to reinstate strong sexual boundaries after abuse and how children's empowerment and sex education programs can lower the risk of abuse.
Read more: Building Confident Kids with Age Appropriate Sexual Boundaries
Learn the 7 Steps to protecting your children from child sexual abuse and how several communities have utilized Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children program to educate adults on how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly.
When the fight or flight reactions occur massively or continuously the normal balancing responses may be unable to end the continuous adrenaline rushes or life saving actions interfering with perception, cognition, and emotions appropriate in a secure environment. We'll hear from two experts in the field of trauma and learn how to end the overwhelming upset associated with past traumatic stress events in moments and bring yourself back to the here and now where you are safe to operate with a calm mind and relaxed body.
In this segment you'll be deeply inspired by the actions of a "bystander" willing to step up and be the voice for an innocent child. You'll also learn how this bystander took her call to protect a single child and married with her extensive experience in TV and film to create a documentary that shares the real life stories of survivors healing.
Read more: Stories of Healing and the Movement to End Child Sexual Abuse
Learn about programs you can use in your community to teach kids, from preschool to middle school, about child sexual abuse safety and hear from experts who have had proven success in their communities.
Read more: Teaching Safety Rules through Kid-Friendly Programs - A Winning Combination
Just because child sexual abuse happened TO YOU, does not mean it IS YOU. Join us as we explore one woman's transformational yoga program to help survivors recapture themselves and the joy they deserve and another woman's inspirational short story entitled Sinlessness.
Read more: Seeing the Silver Lining Hidden Within Your Traumatic Childhood
Expand your vision of child sexual abuse prevention by understanding what causes people to offend and acquire practical early detection screening tools for parents, teachers, counselors, and physicians.
Read more: Understanding What Causes People to Offend and the Opportunities for Early Intervention
How does a good God let bad things happen to children? Where was God when I was being abused? Why didn't God protect me? Many survivors have asked themselves these questions over the years and in this segment you'll hear about the spiritual journey of three survivors who dared to ask the questions and listen for the answers. Join us as we embrace and celebrate spirituality as part of the full and joyous recovery from child sexual abuse.
As we delve into the broad spectrum of topics related to child sexual abuse, Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) remains as one of the most difficult. In this segment, you'll gain a basic understanding of what SRA is and the unique impact it has on its victims. You'll also learn to recognize indicators of satanic ritual abuse and how to provide a supportive environment for survivors.
In this segment we'll discuss a variety of tools available to help adults who are concerned about their own thoughts of inappropriate behavior toward children or the behavior of others. We'll learn about what people need in order to overcome their fear and face the fact that a friend or loved one may be hurting a child.
Read more: Together We Can Prevent the Sexual Abuse of Children
The Ace Study showed that one third of the population being studied experienced at least one category of childhood trauma. If any one category was experienced, there was an 87% chance that at least one additional category was present. One in six individuals in the study experienced 4 or more categories of childhood trauma and one in nine experienced 5 or more categories. Join us as we learn from a victim of multiple types of abuse what childhood was really like, how it impacted him as an adult and how he has triumphantly overcome his past.
Learn how your understanding and critical analysis of public policy and community practices for handling offenders directly impacts your community's ability to protect children.
Learn about the growing demand for child pornography, the eminent danger of on-line predators, what the government is doing to combat these crimes against children and how you can use interactive games in your home and schools to teach children how to recognize potential danger on-line.
In our discussion, we'll gain insight about what causes people to perpetrate and an understanding of who can be helped and who cannot. In addition, we'll learn about existing treatment programs and how they have impacted the recidivism rate and therefore, the safety of our children.
When crisis strikes how can we make the legal and recovery process as easy as possible for the victims and their families? We’ll have the opportunity to explore two successful models.
Read more: Model Programs for Abuse Victims and Their Families
In this moving dialog, we'll explore the statistics of mother-daughter sexual abuse and the unique impact of trauma experienced within the process of maternal nurturing. We'll also discuss the psychological profile of maternal abusers and the myths that may keep us from identifying and effectively intervening in cases of mother-daughter abuse.
Read more: The Best Kept Secret: Mother-Daughter Sexual Abuse
Forty percent of child sexual abuse happens at the hands of a family member. In these cases, kids may not feel comfortable telling someone at home; talking about it at school let's kids know there are trusted adults outside their home who they can talk to and who will help. In addition, educating kids in school can extend the reach of vital prevention information that may not be being shared at home.
Read more: Child Sexual Abuse Education in Schools - Why do we need it?
Increase your compassion and understanding of the impacts of pregnancy and childbirth on female childhood sexual abuse survivors. Survivors will learn to embrace childbirth as a transformational healing opportunity while childbirth professionals will learn how to effectively support survivors through this process.
For most children, disclosure is the end of their trauma; for their family, it’s just the beginning. The impact of child sexual abuse on the family unit as a whole is substantial, particularly in the case of incest. We will drive into the vast array of emotions felt by non-offending parents and discuss the practical aspects of getting through the initial crisis period and the months to come. We’ll also look at valuable tools that non-offending parents can use to overcome the trauma and lay a strong foundation for the future of their family.
Read more: Disclosure: The Shock, the Journey and Resounding Hope for Non-Offending Parents
Expand your understanding of the impact of child sexual abuse on boys and men. Male survivors will gain hope and be empowered to actively engage in their healing and others will learn how their understanding and compassion may be all that's needed for a male in their life to disclose and begin his healing journey.
Read more: Dare to Dream: Empowering Boys and Men Healing from Childhood Sexual Abuse
For most children, disclosure is the end of their trauma; for their family, it is just the beginning. The impact of sexual abuse on the family unit as a hold is substantial, particularly in the case of incest. We'll dive into the vast array of emotions felt by non-offending parents and discuss the practical aspects of getting through the initial crisis period and the months to come. We'll also look at valuable tools that allow non-offending parents to overcome the trauma and lay a strong foundation for the future of their family.
Read more: Child Sexual Abuse in the Native American Culture
Raise your awareness of how some offenders use an organized plan of sexual, physical and emotional abuse as well as violence as a means of controlling children and adults. Learn how one group of survivors and professionals has created a support group that provides victims of this type of severe trauma a safe place to heal and how you can use their model in your community.
It's a normal and healthy process for children to separate from their parents as they grow up which means we can't always be there to protect them. However, we can teach them to recognize danger and empower them to use their voice in the face of danger and afterwards. In this hour we'll learn about tools that adults can use at home to teach kids about body safety.
Explore the many ways our court systems fail to protect children's rights; from placing the burden of proof on young children, to deverting attention to battling parents in custody proceedings; from inadequate training to budget constraints. Learn what you can do to help improve the system in your community.
A survivor of clergy abuse who is now a treatment professional for sex offenders interfaces with a recovering child molester through restorative therapy.
Read more: Confrontation, Compassion and Forgiveness: A Triage for Transformation
Join us as we explore a successful sex offender risk management model that results in lower incarceration rates as well as lower recidivism rates. We'll talk in detail about assessing risk, community notification, and community members' active involvement in sex offender supervision.
Learn how you can create a safe place for survivors of child sexual abuse to talk. Whether you're a medical professional, parent, sibling, friend, neighbor or colleague - you could be the one who brings a child to safety or an adult survivor to healing just by listening.
Read more: How to Listen So People Will Tell: Creating a Safe Place for Survivors
Breaking the Cycle lays out one of the most powerful approaches to overcoming the impact of childhood trauma that I've ever seen. Dr. Riggin's unique method includes an analytical approach to emotional healing that makes it a valuable tool for any survivor but is especially useful for those who struggle to connect with their emotions. The easy to follow step-by-step format can be used by individuals or as a workbook for support groups. Truly a gift to the world!
This interview was recorded in September 2011 just weeks before Dr. Sandra Riggin passed away. Join us as we take an in-depth look into Sandy's revised book, Breaking the Cycle. She worked tirelessly in her final weeks to complete the book so she could leave it with us as her parting gift. We miss you and love you Sandy!
Read more: Stopping Those Who Sexually Abuse is Everyone's Responsibility
Gain an understanding of the proven connection between childhood trauma and health issues including brain development and addictive illness disorders.
Learn the basics about the child sexual abuse epidemic including the prevalence, consequences, grooming behaviors, signs in abused children, what to do if you suspect abuse and your role in resolving the epidemic.
Read more: Child Sexual Abuse Basics: Give Yourself Permission to See the Truth
