Child Sexual Abuse
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BY THE CHILDREN’S COALITION FOR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
behavior into adolescence and adulthood.” hild maltreatment is an ongoing The impact even expands to businesses, epidemic in Louisiana, the including higher health care costs, increased effects of which can impact incarceration rates, lost work days, and health and productivity in mental health outcomes which adulthood. impair the population’s ability In 2017, 11,289 children to be mentally and emotionally were validated victims of child abuse and neglect in prepared for work. Louisiana, and 41 children Childhood sexual abuse died as a result. In 2017, the is an adverse childhood number of youth under the age experience (ACE) that of 18 confirmed to have been negatively effects children victims of abuse or neglect in who will eventually become Ouachita Parish (11.4 per 1000) adults with mental, physical exceeded the state rate (9.5 per and emotional issues that 1000). The Centers for Disease are battled throughout Control and Prevention life. Having a conversation estimate the lifetime cost TAM MY WA S H I NGTON about the things that hurt associated with one non-fatal our children the most can be case of child maltreatment to be $229,792. gut wrenching, but it is necessary. Even if As such, an estimated $1.5 billion was spent the conversation about childhood sexual in our state in 2016 to pay for the costs of abuse causes eyes to roll and individuals to treating victims. The CDC states that, in profess, “that doesn’t happen in my family”, addition to the physical, emotional, and research tells us that parent and professional psychological problems experienced by education programs, like Stewards of victims, “child abuse and neglect can also Children, can actually prevent child sexual affect broader health outcomes, mental abuse by increasing protective factors and health, social development, and risk-taking reducing risk factors. 76 APRIL 2020 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM
Tammy Washington is the Early Childhood Life Skills Coordinator for the curriculum known as Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices. Tammy is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and married to Rod Washington. Together they have four wonderful children. Spending valuable quality time as a family is important to Tammy. Her job includes providing monitoring and support services for all Pre-K teachers in Ouachita, Morehouse, Franklin and Jackson Parish and participating Pre-K3-4 Child Developments Centers. Tammy also coordinates the Annual Community Anti-Bully Awareness campaign for Ouachita Parish. She is a certified Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children training facilitator. Q: What is the most important thing parents and youth need to know about Darkness ot Light Stewards of Children? A: This is a complex subject, but complexity doesn’t make it less prevalent or traumatic. That means we must still dig our feet into the trenches and protect our children. The Darkness to Light‘s adult education program, Stewards of Children,