KNOW THE SIGNS.
Prevent Incest
STOP IT NOW.
Understanding Child Sexual Abuse
What is Child Sexual Abuse?
How Common is Child Sexual Abuse?
Where Can Child Sexual Abuse Happen?
Signs of Child Sexual Abuse
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Long Term Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse
What To Do if You or Someone You Know Has Experienced Child Sexual Abuse
Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
Click the Links below for more information on Peaceoverviolence.org
- Types of Abuse
- Am I in an Abusive Relationship?
- The Cycle of Violence, Power & Control
- Safety Planning
- Myths & Realities
- Guide for Friends & Families
( centers.rainn.org )
It’s helpful to have support in your own community after a sexual assault. Local service providers make it easy for you to access care, and they are knowledgeable about the laws in your area and local resources that can assist you.
A Voice for the Innocent
A Voice For The Innocent is a safe, anonymous online community of support for victims of rape and sex abuse.
Join A Voice For The Innocent to share your support, or to share your story.
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Prevent Incest
IncestAware
Learn about it. Talk about it. End it.
Despite the progress of the #MeToo movement, still, no one is talking about incest. Incest AWARE is committed to changing that.
Our mission is to end incest abuse by raising awareness of the epidemic of sexual violence in the family system, supporting survivors and their loved ones along their healing journeys, and mentoring incest prevention advocates who have chosen to transform their personal experiences with abuse into positive social change.
The Incest AWARE web resource is the first site devoted entirely to the topic of incest. It is designed for survivors, those who care about them, and those committed to stopping incest and helping survivors heal.
https://www.incestaware.org/ | IncestAWARE@gmail.com
Definition:
Incest – the sexual abuse of a person by a family member – is very prevalent, yet few talk about it.
This abuse can be more than just sexual. It can include non-touching behaviors such as exposure to a child, making a child view pornography, invading a child’s body privacy or taking sexually explicit photos of them, or communicating with a child about sexually explicit fantasies. It can be perpetrated by an adult or by an older child.
The effects of incest are similar to those experienced by other survivors of sexual violence.
Learn About Incest | Incest AWARE
This section explores what it is and how it affects people, statistics and research, warning signs and disclosure, sexual safety at home, and further reading and listening lists.
Recovering from Incest
https://www.incestaware.org/recovering-from-incest
The path to recovery starts with a single step. Start or continue your journey here.
Personal Support Options
https://www.incestaware.org/personal-support-options
There is support for incest survivors, but finding it is not always easy. Explore this section for links to in-person and online groups for incest survivors.
Helping Survivors | Incest AWARE
Those working with or caring for survivors play an important role in supporting those affected by incest.
This section is for these supporters, providing guidance on how to effectively help an incest survivor, resources for those in crisis, and intervention in cases of incest abuse.
Survivors need lots of support and resources to recover from the devastating effects of incest abuse, yet survivors can – and do – thrive. In this section, you will find information about recovery, options for personal support and other helpful resources, guidance for those considering taking action, and a page just for teen survivors.
How to Support a Survivor
https://www.incestaware.org/how-to-support-a-survivor
Survivors of incest sometimes need extensive emotional support and many other forms of help.
Here are some best practices for supporting adult and young survivors.
Help for those in Crisis
https://www.incestaware.org/help-for-those-in-crisis
There is help for child and adult survivors of incest in crisis. As their supporter, here is how you can help them navigate these rough waters.
Intervention
https://www.incestaware.org/intervention
It is crucial to intervene when you suspect a child may be the victim of incest. It is all of our responsibility to be aware of incest warning signs and to take informed action.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and for incest, this adage couldn’t be more true. On these pages, you can explore strategies for raising awareness of incest, prevention tools, information on telling your survivor story or connecting with an incest speaker, and links to incest-related news and policy.
Kathy and Richard Butler
Kathy and Richard are the husband and wife team behind Comfort In The Storm. They are credentialed advocates (NACP), authors, and the parents of a child sex abuse survivor. Given their unique perspective, they facilitate comprehensive and thought-provoking Child Sex Abuse Prevention and Awareness trainings.
They also accept bookings for public speaking engagements where they offer extremely transparent insight into their family’s own journey from disclosure to healing.
Kathy and Richard are known for highlighting the data behind the epidemic while using their experiences to offer practical life application to help families develop a safety plan for their children and end this public health crisis.
Together, Kathy and Richard are on a mission to end child sex abuse – one speaking engagement, one training, one social media post, and one family at a time.
Look for their daily prevention, awareness and support tips on Instagram – @comfortinthestorm
and Posts for Survivors, Moms, Dads and more on their website: https://comfortinthestorm.com/
**Disclaimer – We provide prevention and awareness training, peer support and advocacy services. We encourage each survivor and their family to seek professional assistance from licensed therapists and legal professionals, as needed.**
Kathy Butler is a wife, mother, NACP certified child advocate, author, speaker, and the Founder of Comfort In The Storm LLC, an organization created to provide education and awareness about child sex abuse prevention.
She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Communications and received her certificate of completion in Child Advocacy Studies Training from Athens State University. Kathy is also a Facilitator for ATL CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). In addition, Kathy has also completed the CHRIS 180 Trauma Stars modules, which emphasizes a trauma-informed approach to advocacy, and she is a member of the GA CJCC Taskforce.
Kathy has conducted corporate trainings for over 20 years and couples her professional speaking experience with her passion to educate others about child sex abuse awareness and prevention. Kathy is also the exclusive training partner for the Comfort In The Storm Foundation. She is also the chief content creator for the Comfort In The Storm Foundation’s social media platforms, and her articles have been published on several social media lifestyle sites.
Richard Butler is a husband, father of two girls, and a certified child advocate. Richard served in the US Army National Guard for seventeen years where he was responsible for overseeing communications and readiness training for over 2500 soldiers. He received an Associates of Arts Degree from Columbia College and is a certified para-educator. Richard also worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for seventeen years as a Senior Recreation Director where he served some of the district’s most at-risk students and their parents by teaching leadership skills; challenge by choice and decision making skills, and he facilitated parenting classes.
Richard has also held a ministerial license for over fifteen years. He also serves as a Fulton County Cadre Facilitator and a Court Appointed Special Advocate for youth in foster care with the GA Department of Family and Children Services. In addition to his liberal studies degree, Richard has taken courses at Aenon School of Theology in family counseling and adolescent behavior; Child Advocacy Studies at Athens State University, and numerous other courses centered around being trauma-informed to meet the needs of the youth he serves.
As a training facilitator for Comfort In The Storm, Richard offers a unique prevention and awareness training experience through the lens of true girl dad.
CSA Prevention & Awareness Training
Kathy and Richard see the clear link between mental health and productivity, performance, absenteeism and overall well-being. They are firm believers that small businesses, large corporations, religious organizations, municipalities, educational institutions – including the military – will experience marked improvement in output consistency and well-being among their staff/members by helping them to keep their children safe from the trauma of sex abuse through prevention and awareness.
Their 4-hour Child Sex Abuse Prevention and Awareness training curriculum consists of twelve modules. Each module can also be delivered as a stand-alone option.
Training module topics:
– How to identify potential predatory grooming patterns
– How to teach children about boundaries and body autonomy
– Common myths about sexual abusers
– The importance of good communication and messaging in the home
– How to identify possible signs of abuse
– How to handle disclosures from a victim
– Social media safety
– Best practices for safety in schools and youth serving organizations
– Consent
– Sex trafficking
– Teen dating violence
– How to develop and maintain a safety plan for your family
Contact them via email – info@comfortinthestorm.com – to inquire about rates; schedule a training, book them for a speaking engagement at your next meeting/conference, or for written and digital media exclusives such as interviews and podcasts.
GirlThrive Inc.
honors teen girls and young women who have survived incest and all sex abuse through thriverships, opportunity and education.
|Girlthrive and Invisible Girls helps girls heal, move on with their lives with power and agency ending the cycle of abuse.”
“Girls everywhere are healing every day!”
HealthyPlace
Mental Health Support, Resources & Information | HealthyPlace
“Healthyplace.com is the largest consumer mental health site on the net. We provide authoritative information and support to people with mental health concerns, along with their family members and other loved ones.
“At HealthyPlace.com, you’ll find comprehensive, authoritative information on psychological disorders, psychiatric medications, and other mental health treatments. We also have online psychological tests, breaking mental health news, and more.
“We believe the most important thing in a person’s life is “peace of mind”.
“And at HealthyPlace.com, we help bring that to you by providing mental health information from experts, as well as everyday people who are dealing with psychological disorders.
Learn More About HealthyPlace.com | HealthyPlace
On About Us, you will see a list of Conditions from “Abuse” to “Schizoaffective Disorder” which link to those Communities where you can find “tons” of valuable information, articles, books, and videos. (Some links are provided below for your convenience.)
They also have many, many Mental Health BLOGS! Including:
Mental Health for the Digital Generation | Trauma/PTSD | Verbal Abuse in Relationships (includes an article How Abuse Can Lead to Suicidal Thoughts | HealthyPlace)
Mental Health Support, Resources & Information | HealthyPlace
Conditions include:
- Abuse Information & Resources (Abuse Information, Emotional & Psychological Abuse, Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, Teenage Dating Violence, Help)
- Addictions
- Anxiety, Panic, Phobias
- Depression (Types, Treatment, Self-Help)
- Dissociative Disorders (Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment)
- LGBT & Mental Health (much more, including links to many Psychological Tests)
- Self-Help
From Healthyplace.com
Rape victim stories can be very difficult to read, frightening and emotionally draining for some but stories of rape show other victims that they are not alone in their struggles. Rape stories detail the many abuses that some people suffer and yet survive and go on to succeed in recovering and regaining control of their lives. Rape victim stories can help others to realize that there are other survivors that have been through exactly what they have and come out the other side a whole person.
The following rape stories contain scenes of abuse, sexual assault, incest and violence. The people in these rape victim stories have been badly wounded by these events and yet have the courage to stand up and say what has happened to them. Each of these rape stories speaks to the courage of the person who has shared it.
https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/rape/rape-victim-stories-real-stories-of-being-raped
Rape Stories from Real People
- Sexual Assault, Rape Survivor Stories
- After Life of Sexual Abuse, Going to Police Turns into Nightmare
- Incest Paves the Way for Adult Rape
- A Wife Escapes Her Rapist, Abusive Husband
- Incest Survivor Considers Herself a ‘Second Time Virgin’
- Stranger Rape Survivor Tells Others to ‘Think Straight’
- Rape Victims Wishes She Had Gone to the Police
- Younger Rapist Terrifies Older Victim Into Silence
- Abusers Induce Multiple Miscarriages After Victim Gets Pregnant
- Incest, Rape Survivor Proclaims She Will Heal From Abuse
- Multiple Rape Survivor Knows She’s Strong and Proud
- Young Girl Raped by ‘Friend’ and Called a Whore
- Rape Survivor Wakes Up and Realizes It Isn’t Her Fault
- Survivor Takes Three Years to Tell Date Rape Story
- Rape Survivor Knows It Isn’t Her Fault
Click Here for Resources – Mental Health & Crisis
Click here for Resources – ONLINE THERAPY (Many are FREEE!!)
HelpGuide helps you help yourself
HelpGuide is a small independent nonprofit that runs one of the world’s top 10 mental health websites. Over 50 million people from all around the world turn to HelpGuide each year for trustworthy content they can use to improve their mental health and make healthy changes.
In Memory of Morgan Segal
“HelpGuide is dedicated to Morgan Leslie Segal, whose tragic suicide might have been prevented if she had access to better information.”
“Following Morgan’s death, her parents Robert and Jeanne Segal began sharing their grief and discovered that all too many others had experienced similar struggles. “The pain was so evident,” said Robert, “the subject so frightening, hidden, and loaded with stigma, that they don’t know where to turn.” They concluded that the best way to honor the memory of their daughter was by helping people in similar trouble by guiding them toward appropriate information and care.
“And so HelpGuide was born.”
Click this link to find the following TOPICS near the bottom of the Home Page on HelpGuide:
Click the Links below for more information on Peaceoverviolence.org
- Types of Abuse
- Am I in an Abusive Relationship?
- The Cycle of Violence, Power & Control
- Safety Planning
- Myths & Realities
- Guide for Friends & Families
RAPE, ABUSE AND INCEST NATIONAL NETWORK
HOTLINE: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
ADVOCATES AND SHELTERS (Local Programs) listed by State, organized by County:
https://www.womenslaw.org/find-help/advocates-and-shelters
For a list and description of organizations that provide assistance for survivors and their families, visit: https://www.rainn.org/national-resources-sexual-assault-survivors-and-their-loved-ones
- Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Survivors
- Black Survivors
- Child Abuse/Sexual Abuse
- College Students
- Domestic, Dating and Intimate Partner Violence
- Human Trafficking
- Immigrant Survivors
- Incest
- Indigenous Survivors
- Latinx Survivors
- Legal Resources
LGBTQ Survivors
LGBTQ Survivors of Color
Male Survivors
Medical/Physical Health
Mental Health
Military Resources
Stalking
Sexual Assault Prevention
Suicide & Self-Harm
Survivors with Disabilities
“The RAINN app gives survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones access to support, self-care tools, and information to help manage the short- and long-term effects of sexual violence.
Find Support
“The app’s “Hotline” feature can connect you directly with one-on-one support from a trained support specialist on RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline via phone or online chat. It’s free, confidential and available 24/7.
“You can also chat with other survivors in our peer-to-peer HelpRoom.”
Practice Self-Care
“The app’s “Self-Care” section contains exercises to help you take a moment for yourself as you heal. They include a Mood Tracker to help you reflect on how you’re feeling and figure out the best ways to care for yourself; relaxing visuals from The Monday Campaign to help you destress; and audio exercises from Headspace for calming meditation.”
Learn More
“The app’s “Learn” section includes helpful information on sexual violence topics, finding and giving support, and healing.
“You can also hear from survivors offering their own real-life stories of hope and healing.”
The RAINN app is available in the App Store and on Google Play. Download it today.
STUDENT SAFETY
https://www.rainn.org/safety-students
Safety & Prevention
https://www.rainn.org/safety-prevention
Safety for Parents
Safety for Students
Warning Signs
Protecting Others
Online Safety
Safe Web Browsing
Social Media Safety
Staying Safe
What Consent Looks Like
How to Respond if Someone is Pressuring You
Safety Planning
Safety Tips for Traveling
Alcohol Safety
Let’s Talk About…for all ages
Staying Safe on Campus
https://www.rainn.org/articles/staying-safe-campus
Alcohol Safety
https://www.rainn.org/articles/alcohol-safety
Steps You Can Take to Prevent Sexual Assault
https://www.rainn.org/articles/steps-you-can-take-prevent-sexual-assault
Your Role In Preventing Sexual Assault (Bystander)
https://www.rainn.org/articles/your-role-preventing-sexual-assault
What Consent Looks Like
https://www.rainn.org/articles/what-is-consent
How to Help Someone You Care About – Tips from RAINN
https://www.rainn.org/sites/default/files/HelpSomeoneOnePageRAINN.pdf
SelfCare After Trauma – Tips from RAINN
https://www.rainn.org/sites/default/files/SelfCareOnePageRAINN.pdf
Online Dating and Dating App Safety Tips
https://www.rainn.org/online-dating-and-dating-app-safety-tips#overlay-context=
#RAINNDAY & #LetsGetLoud “Need some social media inspiration? Try pairing a few of the posts with our RAINN Day graphics below.
“Browse the #RAINNDay and #LetsGetLoud hashtags on Instagram to see how students around the country are raising awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
#LetsGetLoud & speak out about sexual assault during #RAINNDay. Make a difference: rainn.org/rainnday
#LetsGetLoud so survivors know that they are not alone. I’m making a difference on my campus with #RAINNDay on 4/14. You can too: rainn.org/rainnday
#LetsGetLoud so survivors know that they are believed and sexual violence is not tolerated on our campus. Learn how you can help at rainn.org/rainnday
#LetsGetLoud about protecting each other. I’m bringing my campus together on #RAINNDay to help end sexual assault. rainn.org/rainnday As a college-age person, we are at a high risk for sexual violence. #LetsGetLoud and stop sexual assault on college campuses. Find out how at #RAINNDay. rainn.org/rainnday
SPREAD THE WORD ON SOCIAL MEDIA!!
“You can play an important role in stopping sexual violence and connecting survivors with the support they deserve. The best part? You only have to lift a finger. Acting with RAINN on social media gives you a chance to have a voice in the conversation about sexual violence.
Share the messages below on social media:
Connect survivors with help: The National Sexual Assault Hotline provides free, 24/7 support to survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones. Reach those who need this valuable service by sharing the hotline information on social media.
If you have been affected by sexual assault, you are not alone. @RAINN provides free, confidential support 24/7 at online.rainn.org.
@RAINN provides free, 24/7 support for survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones at 800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org.
Sexual assault is never your fault. @RAINN now offers free, confidential Spanish support services online 24/7 at rainn.org/es.
Educate your friends: Debunk myths and educate your network about sexual violence. Share a statistic to shed light on the issue. Every 73 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted. Learn more and take action with @rainn at rainn.org. 98% of rapists will never spend a day in jail. Help bring rapists to justice with @rainn at rainn.org.
Advocate for survivors of sexual violence: Use your voice to create a ripple effect of change for survivors among your peers, in your community, or even on Capitol Hill.
Raise awareness and educate students about sexual assault resources from @RAINN with #RAINNDay! Learn more at rainn.org/rainnday.
Support funding to help victims of sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable. rainn.org/action-center @rainn #ActWithRAINN.”
Public Policy and Action – Interactive Map – Laws of Your State
RAINN Needs Your Voice
Countless survivors’ kits are languishing on shelves in evidence rooms and labs across the U.S. Even today, some survivors must wait nearly a decade to get their kits processed and tested. Right now, approximately 200,000 kits wait to be tested. Today, we have a chance to make a difference.
The U.S. Senate is currently deciding how much to spend on the backlog and your voice can be the difference between more funding or less.
Stand With Survivors and Ask Your Senators to End the Backlog. Justice Delayed is justice denied. Urge your senators to do their part to help end the rape kit backlog today.
Send email = https://p2a.co/1jqx2dk?p2asource=FY21_BacklogAlert_email1_all
How RAINN’s Policy Team Works Help Survivors https://www.rainn.org/news/how-rainns-policy-team-works-help-survivors
“Recently, as Congress has considered police reform legislation, RAINN has urged House and Senate leaders to include a number of additional changes to help survivors of sexual violence. RAINN’s suggestions address issues that disproportionately impact Black victims of sexual violence, especially Black girls, who are overrepresented in juvenile justice data. According to The Sex Abuse to Prison Pipeline: The Girls Story, 76 percent of girls involved with the justice system have histories of physical and sexual abuse.”
Survivors of Incest Anonymous
They provide information on how to find incest survivor support groups in your area and empowers individuals to become survivors and thrivers.
Their Blog is aimed at adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse as well as loved ones who offer them support.
“This site is intended to be a resource to survivors of childhood sexual abuse who are seeking to heal and recover. As we say in our meetings, we hope you will find here the hope, camaraderie and recovery that we have been privileged to experience.
“We want you to know you are not to blame, and most importantly, you are not alone. We know your pain. Yet, we have come to the awesome realization that our pain is temporary and that if any one of us can recover – so can we all!”
“We are a spiritual, self-help program of women and men, 18 years or older, who are guided by a set of 12 Suggested Steps and 12 Traditions, along with our Slogans and the Serenity Pray
“We define incest very broadly as a sexual encounter initiated by a family member or by an extended family member that damaged the child. By “extended family” we mean an aunt, uncle, in-law, stepparent, cousin, friend of the family, teacher, coach, another child, clergy or anyone that that betrayed the child’s trust. The only requirement for membership is that you are a victim of child sexual abuse, and you want to recover. There are no dues or fees in our meetings. If you feel that you belong, we believe you. Our program is peer support. All literature is written by fellow survivors. We share our experience, strength, and hope from working our 12 Step program of healing.
“We do not have any professional therapists working in our groups. SIA is not a replacement for therapy or any other professional service when needed.
“Survivors of Incest Anonymous is responsible for the content found on this site. However, SIA is not associated with, and takes no responsibility for, any external websites that have linked this site or otherwise directed you here, nor is it responsible for the content of their statements to the world.”
Additional Resources
- Advocates and Shelters | WomensLaw.org (drop-down menu for your State)
- Click here to enter your zip code: Find Domestic Violence and Abuse Help, Information and Stats (domesticshelters.org)
Domestic Violence Support | The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)
- National Organizations | WomensLaw.org (listed by subject matter)
- Chat Rooms and Message Boards | WomensLaw.org
- VictimConnect (serves victims of crime in US (including assault, abuse, domestic violence, teen dating violence, trafficking, stalking, etc.), and make local referrals.
Mental Health Resources
