AILEEN ADAMS

LUNCHEON ADDRESS

TO THE TWELFTH NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

MARCH 28, 1996

THANK YOU, NANCY, FOR THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION--BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT YOU DO. OVC IS PLEASED TO BE FUNDING SOME OF THE NETWORK'S EFFORTS AND WE ARE ALSO PLEASED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR 100 FEDERAL PROSECUTORS, FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS, AND FEDERAL DIRECT SERVICE PERSONNEL TO ATTEND THIS CONFERENCE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SUE SHRINER ON MY STAFF FOR COORDINATING THAT EFFORT TO HELP EDUCATE THE FEDERAL SYSTEM ABOUT THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERAGENCY COLLABORATIONS.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ONCE AGAIN AT THE CONFERENCE WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST -- IF NOT THE MOST -- IMPORTANT TRAINING GROUNDS IN THIS COUNTRY'S BATTLE AGAINST CHILD ABUSE.

I BRING GREETINGS TO ALL OF YOU FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO WHO HAS MADE CHILDREN AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS---THE ESSENCE OF THIS CONFERENCE---THE CORNERSTONE OF HER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THOSE OF US WHO BELIEVE THAT THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE THE CENTRAL FOCUS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM FEEL VERY FORTUNATE INDEED TO BE A PART OF HER TEAM.

IN FACT, I THINK THAT I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN WASHINGTON. AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME, I OVERSEE THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND -- WHICH LAST YEAR AMOUNTED TO OVER $230 MILLION. THIS FUND TRULY REPRESENTS A UNIQUE FORM OF JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS BECAUSE THE MONEY IS DERIVED -- NOT FROM TAXPAYERS -- BUT FROM FINES AND PENALTIES LEVELED AGAINST CRIMINAL OFFENDERS. 90% OF THIS FUND IS DISTRIBUTED TO THE STATES TO HELP SUPPORT MORE THAN 3,000 VICTIM ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND 40% OF ALL STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAMS. SINCE CHILD ABUSE PROGRAMS ARE LISTED AS A PRIORITY IN OUR GUIDELINES, I HOPE THAT MANY OF YOUR PROGRAMS ARE RECIPIENTS OF THESE FEDERAL VOCA FUNDS.

I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE WHO COMES TO THIS CONFERENCE LEAVES QUITE THE SAME. MY FIRST VISIT TO HUNTSVILLE IN 1985 DRAMATICALLY CHANGED MY VISION OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE -- NOT ONLY FOR CHILD VICTIMS -- BUT IN FACT, FOR ALL CRIME VICTIMS. FOR MANY OF US, TO RETURN HERE IS INDEED AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER STRENGTH, TO BE REINVIGORATED -- TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO HELPING OUR MOST VULNERABLE VICTIMS OF CRIME. EACH TIME I RETURN TO HUNTSVILLE I AM REMINDED HOW A SMALL HANDFUL OF VISIONARY PEOPLE WHO FORMED THE FIRST CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER HERE IN THE MID-1980'S HAVE MADE SUCH A REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE.

THEY PUT INTO PRACTICE SUCH SIMPLE -- YET AT THE TIME REVOLUTIONARY -- CONCEPTS: COLLABORATION AMONG AGENCIES; JOINT INTERVIEWS; TEAMWORK; FACILITIES ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN. AND THEY PASSED THEIR CONCEPTUAL TORCH ALL ACROSS AMERICA -- THROUGH COMMUNITIES LARGE AND SMALL, IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN SETTINGS, IN BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL SYSTEMS, AND IN INDIAN COUNTRY. THEY PASSED IT TO THOUSANDS OF DIVERSE PROFESSIONALS WHO COMBINED THEIR RESOURCES TO BEGIN TO FORM 300 CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS WHICH SHARE THE SAME CORE VALUES, BUT WHICH TRULY REPRESENT THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH COMMUNITY.

AS I CONSIDER THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, I THINK OF THE WORDS OF ONE OF THIS CENTURY'S GREATEST ANTHROPOLOGISTS, MARGARET MEAD, WHO SAID: "NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS."

FOR ME AND FOR MANY OTHERS, WHAT BEGAN HERE GOES FAR BEYOND THE FIELD OF CHILD ABUSE. PARTNERSHIPS AMONG AGENCIES AND WITH COMMUNITIES -- THE CORE VALUES OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS -- ARE THE PREEMINENT AGENT OF CHANGE AT WORK IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, ON MONDAY, I WAS IN NEW YORK AND VISITED THE 34TH POLICE PRECINCT WHERE I MET A HIGHLY-TRAINED POLICE OFFICER AND A SOCIAL WORKER WHO RESPOND TOGETHER TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS. THAT'S NOW THE NORM IN 21 OUT OF THE 76 NEW YORK PRECINCTS, AND IT'S REMARKABLE TO BEHOLD. I WAS PARTICULARLY STRUCK BY THE FACT THAT THEY CALL EACH OTHER "PARTNER." (COULD THIS BE A POSSIBLE SEQUEL TO NYPD BLUE?) THIS KIND OF COLLABORATION ALLOWS TWO PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE PROFESSIONS -- LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL WORK -- TO COMBINE THE BEST OF EACH OTHER'S SKILLS TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY ITS BEST CHANCE TO CURB FAMILY VIOLENCE. AND AS POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKERS INTERACT IN THE FIELD, THEY ARE CONTINUALLY HELPING TO CROSS-TRAIN ONE ANOTHER.

NOT LONG AGO, I VISITED THE VICTIM SERVICE CENTER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. THERE THE COMMUNITY BUILT A LOVELY VICTORIAN HOME WHICH IS AN ADVOCACY CENTER -- NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN -- BUT FOR ALL CRIME VICTIMS. IT IS A PLACE WHERE SOCIAL WORKERS, THERAPISTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS COLLABORATE, BUT ALSO CO-LOCATED THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATOR OF THE STATE COMPENSATION PROGRAM WHO PROCESSES VICTIMS' CLAIMS WITHIN A WEEK. AND THEY HAVE JUST EXPANDED THE FACILITY TO INCLUDE SELF-HELP GROUPS, SUCH AS MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING AND PARENTS OF MURDERED CHILDREN. IN JACKSONVILLE THE USUAL CONCEPT OF A TEAM HAS BEEN GREATLY EXPANDED. THE CENTER ALSO HAS A CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM COMPRISING VARIOUS PROFESSIONS TO RESPOND TO CASES OF MASS VIOLENCE. THEIR SOCIAL WORKERS ACCOMPANY LAW ENFORCEMENT TO THE SCENES OF HOMICIDES TO ASSIST VICTIMS; THEY HAVE SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND AN EMERGENCY FUND TO HELP VICTIMS WHO HAVE BEEN ROBBED AND TO REPLACE BROKEN LOCKS AND WINDOWS. THEY EVEN HAVE THEIR OWN TELEVISION SHOW. SOMETHING, I MIGHT ADD, THAT NOT EVEN THE PRESIDENT HAS -- HE HAS A WEEKLY RADIO SHOW.....

AS I TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY, IT IS CLEAR THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY COMPONENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS REASSESSING WHAT THEY DO AND HOW THEY DO IT. TODAY COMMUNITY POLICING IS NOT ONLY AN ACCEPTED CONCEPT BUT WE SEE EXAMPLES OF COMMUNITY PROSECUTORS AND DOCTORS. IN SOME PLACES, PROBATION AND PAROLE OFFICERS HAVE REDEFINED THEIR MISSION TO FOCUS MORE ON VICTIMS RATHER THAN EXCLUSIVELY ON OFFENDERS. THEIR NEW EMPHASIS IS KEEPING VICTIMS INFORMED OF THE STATUS OF THE OFFENDER -- IF HE'S RELEASED; IF HE'S UP FOR PAROLE -- AND ENCOURAGING VICTIMS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS -- TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD DURING SENTENCING AND AT PAROLE HEARINGS.

I MENTION THESE CHANGES, THESE NEW DIRECTIONS IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE I THINK THAT AS MEMBERS OF THE CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER MOVEMENT WE TOO MUST ALWAYS CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE -- TO WIDEN THE CIRCLE OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE WITHIN THE FAMILY.

TODAY IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THERE ARE ENTIRELY SEPARATE SYSTEMS OF RIGHTS AND SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD VICTIMS. IN OUR EFFORTS TO SPECIALIZE TO MORE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE HIGHLY COMPLICATED PROBLEMS, WE HAVE SOMETIMES CREATED SEPARATE SYSTEMS OF RESPONSE FOR CRIME VICTIMS WITHIN THE SAME FAMILY. AT CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS, THE FOCUS IS GENERALLY ON THE CHILD -- ON PROVIDING THE CHILD WITH NEEDED THERAPY AND OTHER SERVICES TO ENABLE HEALING. AT BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS, THE PRIMARY FOCUS IS OFTEN ON THE MOTHER -- HELPING HER OBTAIN A RESTRAINING ORDER, HOUSING, WELFARE, A JOB. HOW MANY CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTERS KNOW HOW TO HELP WOMEN OBTAIN RESTRAINING ORDERS, WELFARE, AND JOBS -- AND HOW MANY BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTERS CAN PROVIDE CHILD VICTIMS WITH THE LONG-TERM COUNSELING THAT THEY NEED?

MY MESSAGE TODAY SHOULD SOUND A FAMILIAR RING -- EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESPONSES FOR CHILD VICTIMS TO INCLUDE THE INDIVIDUALS, AGENCIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR ADULT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS. WHY SHOULD THIS BE PART OF OUR MISSION?

BECAUSE IN AMERICA TODAY WE ARE IN A WAR WHERE OUR HOMES ARE THE BATTLEFIELD. THE TRUE CASUALTIES OF THIS DOMESTIC WAR ARE THE OVERLOOKED CHILDREN WHO WITNESS THE VIOLENCE, WHO ARE USED AS WEAPONS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TERROR, WHO ARE CHRONICALLY ABUSED BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SEXUALLY, AND ALL TOO OFTEN KILLED.

EACH YEAR, ALMOST 60% OF CHILDREN WHO ARE MURDERED UNDER THE AGE OF TEN ARE KILLED BY A PARENT -- THE ULTIMATE ABUSE. BETWEEN 1976 AND 1994, 37,000 CHILDREN WERE MURDERED IN THE UNITED STATES -- A NUMBER EQUAL TO THE TOTAL MILITARY CASUALTIES IN THE KOREAN WAR.

WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY CHILDREN ANNUALLY WITNESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR THE IMPACT UPON THESE KIDS OF GROWING UP IN A HOME THAT VIOLENCE PERVADES. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT CHILDREN IN HOMES PLAGUED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ARE ABUSED AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN AVERAGE. DR. ASTRID HEGER, WHOSE WORK IN THIS FIELD IS WORLD RENOWNED, TOLD ME LAST WEEK THAT IN JUST ONE EMERGENCY ROOM IN LOS ANGELES, 28% OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS ARE SPOUSAL RELATED -- WHICH AMOUNTS TO 100,000 EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS EACH YEAR. ACCORDING TO DR. HEGER, THERE IS AT LEAST A 50% OVERLAP BETWEEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE IN THESE CASES.

WE KNOW FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, I SUSPECT, THAT THIS KIND OF CORRELATION IS TRUE. I KNOW IT DIRECTLY FROM A MEMBER OF MY STAFF, OLGA TRUJILLO WHO WANTED ME TO SHARE HER STORY WITH YOU. OLGA IS THE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME. BUT SHE GREW UP WATCHING AS HER FATHER REGULARLY BEAT AND RAPED HER MOTHER. SHE SAW THE BRUISES AND HEARD THE SCREAMS AT A VERY EARLY AGE. SHE WATCHED AS HER FATHER TORTURED HER MOTHER IN WAYS A YOUNG CHILD WOULD NEVER THINK POSSIBLE. RATHER THAN RUN AND HIDE AS HER BROTHERS DID, OLGA OFTEN WAS BEATEN, TORTURED, AND RAPED AS WELL FOR TRYING TO PROTECT HER MOTHER. ALTHOUGH HER BROTHERS TRIED TO ESCAPE THEIR FATHER'S RAGE, IT ALSO FOUND ITS WAY TO THEM AND EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO A PATTERN OF REGULAR PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE BY THEM OF OLGA. SHE WAS THE YOUNGEST CHILD AND THE ONLY GIRL. THE ONE WHO WOULDN'T HIDE. THE ONE WHO TOLD THEM TO STOP.

OLGA HAS HAD THE COURAGE TO FACE HER PAST AND TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE BY WORKING TO HELP OTHER VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE. IN THE PROCESS, SHE LEARNED THAT HER PARENTS WERE ALSO VICTIMS OF ABUSE. BUT HER STORY SHOULD REMIND US OF THE IMPORTANT INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FAMILY VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE. IT SHOULD REMIND US TOO THAT WE MUST FORM NEW PARTNERSHIPS TO ASSIST IN PROVIDING THE RANGE OF SERVICES NEEDED IN MANY OF OUR CASES.

TO BEGIN A DIALOGUE ON THIS SUBJECT, THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME HAS PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THIS CONFERENCE TO HAVE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TRACK. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING TO THE NATIONAL NETWORK TO HOLD AN INVITATIONAL CONFERENCE THIS SUMMER TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF GREATER COLLABORATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK ON FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES AND THOSE OF US WHO WORK ON CHILD ABUSE.

AT THE VERY LEAST, WE CAN LEARN A GREAT DEAL FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND CROSS-TRAINING IS AN IMPORTANT BEGINNING. CERTAINLY, WE CAN JOIN FORCES TO ADVOCATE FOR NEEDED REFORMS, SUCH AS MORE FUNDING FOR MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES. CHILDREN WHO ARE PHYSICALLY OR SEXUALLY ABUSED OR WHO WITNESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE GENERALLY NEED LONG-TERM THERAPY. WE CAN ALSO BRAINSTORM ABOUT THE QUESTIONS THAT WE FEEL SHOULD BE ASKED ROUTINELY BY POLICE OFFICERS, DOCTORS, AND OTHERS WHO ARE IN A POSITION TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENT OF MULTI-GENERATIONAL VIOLENCE WITHIN HOMES. FOR EXAMPLE, SHOULDN'T THE POLICE WHO RESPOND TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE IN THE HOME? SHOULDN'T EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTORS WHO TREAT BATTERED WOMEN ROUTINELY ASK ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN?

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP TO EDUCATE THE JUDICIARY ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ASK JUDGES TO EXAMINE THE STRUCTURE OF COURTS. SHOULD VIOLENCE WITHIN THE FAMILY BE HANDLED BY A UNIFIED COURT, RATHER THAN BY SEPARATE CRIMINAL, DOMESTIC, JUVENILE AND CIVIL COURTS? AND SHOULDN'T WE HAVE COURTROOMS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN?

EXPANDING THE CIRCLE IS A TREMENDOUS CHALLENGE THAT REQUIRES RENEWED ENERGY AND OPTIMISM -- WHICH WE SEE SO OFTEN IN OUR CLIENTS. I'M REMINDED OF A LETTER SENT TO THE PRESIDENT RECENTLY BY A YOUNG CHILD. HE SAID: I WAS RAPED AND MOLESTED FROM THE AGE OF 6 TO THE AGE OF 8 BY MY STEPFATHER. HE USED TO BEAT MY MOM UP REALLY BAD. I THINK MY BROTHER GOT THE WORST BEATINGS. I THOUGHT OF COMMITTING SUICIDE. I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT RUNNING AWAY. I'M AFRAID FOR ALL THE OTHER KIDS WHO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS LIKE I DID. WHAT I HAVE DECIDED IS TO WRITE TO EVERYONE IN THE STATE AND TO YOU ABOUT THIS SO MAYBE WE CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER KIDS. KEVIN

KEVIN'S LETTER REMINDS US THAT WE HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE ETERNAL OPTIMISM AND HOPE OF CHILDREN, EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE FACED THE MOST DEVASTATING OF CRIMES.

I THINK THAT WE CAN BEST HONOR THE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS MADE HERE IN HUNTSVILLE, THE SITE OF THE FIRST CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER, BY NOT ONLY EMULATING THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP, BUT ALSO BY CHALLENGING WHETHER IN TODAY'S WORLD IT IS ENOUGH. I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US IN A DIALOGUE ABOUT "WIDENING THE CIRCLE" THROUGHOUT THIS CONFERENCE AND IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITIES.

I HAVE CERTAINLY LEARNED IN THIS JOB THAT IT IS COMMUNITIES THEMSELVES THAT CREATE INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO FINDING THE ANSWERS TO DIFFICULT CHALLENGES. AS YOU CREATE NEW CENTERS AND AS YOU WIDEN THE CIRCLE OF SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN, I WANT TO ASSURE ALL OF YOU HERE THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A VOICE, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND A FRIEND AT THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME.