A new program aimed at expanding training to better protect children from sexual abuse is being launched across Kentucky. Attorney General Andy Beshear and First Lady Glenna Bevin are partnering in the effort.
Beshear said 1 in 10 Kentucky children will be sexually abused before age 18. He says we have a moral obligation and a legal duty to report abuse. “The abuse affects their interaction with society, impacts their education and careers, and often leads to substance abuse and mental health issues later in life,” said Beshear.
The training will focus on protecting children from molester selection, engagement and seduction. Participants will also hear tips from sex offenders by way of nationally recognized child advocate Cory Jewell Jensen. Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky Director Jill Seyfred says that’s a new approach. Seyfred says some predators want to offer advice. “If they have an opportunity to share their experiences, especially as it relates to their home environment and what brought them to the point of being a predator, then regardless of those circumstances we want to learn from those behaviors so that we can stop them,” noted Seyfred.
The Kentucky Association of Child Advocacy Centers will coordinate trainings offered at each of the state’s 15 area development districts. Director Caroline Ruschell says better communication among agencies that assist children may lead to more victims coming forward. “That’s one of the biggest issues we face at children’s advocacy centers is a delayed disclosure," Ruschell said. "If we can get children talking earlier, we can prevent more child abuse.”
The training will initially be held for law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, educators, and other child advocates.
