Cheer for Children Ball: Benefiting Georgia Center for Child Advocacy

The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy is a private, non-profit agency that was established in 1987. The Center's mission is to facilitate healing for children and families who have experienced child sexual abuse. The Center provides a safe, friendly place where a child can end their silence by telling a trained therapist about the abuse during a videotaped interview. In addition, children and families are offered long-term psychological treatment to provide healing and hope for the future. The Center coordinates with agencies involved in the investigation of child sexual abuse and offers education for professionals and adults in sexual abuse prevention.

Since opening its doors in 1987, the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy has helped over 7,500 children, offering a safe haven for abused children, providing long-term psychological treatment to victims and their families, and assisting in the investigation of abuse cases. All services are offered at no cost to children age 17 and under who reside, or were abused, in DeKalb and Fulton County. In 2007, the Center:

  • Received over 860 referrals for service
  • Provided forensic interviews for 646 sexually abused children
  • Conducted 1,302 therapy and forensic evaluation sessions
  • Coordinated MDT case review of 847 cases of alleged sexual abuse
  • Provided over 100 clinical staff hours for preparation and testimony in court
  • Since opening our doors in 1987, we have provided over 22,216 forensic and therapeutic services to 8,414 children

The statistics for abused children are grim:

  • 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18.
  • 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18.
  • 1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet.
  • Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under.
  • An estimated 39 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse exist in America today.

Even within their own homes, children are at risk for sexual abuse:

  • 30-40% of victims are abused by a family member.
  • Another 50% are abused by someone outside the family whom they know and trust.
  • Approximately 40% are abused by older or larger children whom they know.
  • Therefore, only 10% are abused by strangers.

Sexual abuse occurs at all ages, probably younger than you think:

  • The median age for reported abuse is 9 years old.
  • More than 20% of children are sexually abused before age 8.
  • Nearly 50% of all victims of forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling are children under 12.

Most perpetrators are repeat offenders if they are not reported and stopped:

  • Nearly 70% of sex offenders have between 1 and 9 victims; at least 20% have 10 to 40 victims.
  • An average serial child molester may have as many as 400 victims in his or her lifetime.

Source: Darkness to Light, Statistics Surrounding Child Sexual Abuse, www.D2L.org

The good news is that sexually abused children do benefit from early intervention by trained professionals. At the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, we see improvement in behavioral problems and self-esteem and the creation of hope. And after almost two decades, we are seeing generations of children who have received help at the Center engaged in healthy adult lives and positive relationships.

To learn more about the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy and the full range of free services we provide, please visit us at the Georgia Center For Child Advocacy website.