Baker County Child Advocacy Center

05/27/2026

This documentary is a must-see. It is heartbreaking, uncomfortable & infuriating. However, it is also a powerful story of resilience, bravery & the immeasurable strength of a child.

Sasha Joseph Neulinger- the filmmaker, narrator & survivor of this documentary- experienced horrific s*xual abuse as a child by three trusted & loved family members.

Due to his case, changes were made to the way children were seen, interviewed & treated within the system. 🙌 Child Advocacy Centers were created in Sasha’s home state to better serve survivors of child abuse.

The purpose of a CAC is to provide a safe, child-focused environment where children & families can access support, advocacy, forensic interviews, medical care, mental health services & multidisciplinary collaboration throughout the investigation & healing process. CACs work to reduce further trauma to children while ensuring they are heard, protected & supported.

Yes, this is a heavy watch, but I tell my friends & family this:
“Think how heavy it is for the child. How badly they must wish they could ‘not see it,’ ‘not hear it,’ ‘not feel it.’ If only they had the choice to simply ‘not talk about it’ or ‘not know it.’”

If you are a survivor of child s*xual abuse, or the parent/caregiver of a child who has been victimized, please know this film may be deeply emotional or triggering. The subject matter is sensitive & difficult. Before watching, consider what support or coping tools may help you feel grounded & safe- & plan for what you may need afterward as well. ❤️

We MUST do more & do better. We MUST speak up. Protect children. Steward children. Love children. Believe children.

(The documentary is called Rewind. It is available on Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play)

05/26/2026

As a child forensic interviewer, I follow the Oregon Interviewing Guidelines (OIG) for best practice. Below are factors identified in the OIG Fifth Edition that increase the likelihood that a child will disclose abuse.

Be a trusted adult.
Believe children.
Report child abuse.

Oregon Child Abuse Hotline: 1 (855) 503-7233

05/20/2026

Turning a blind eye is a form of abuse.

Children often stay silent about abuse to protect their family unit. Sometimes, the child arrives at that decision on their own — other times, they’ve been asked to keep the abuse secret to “save the family.”

Many children fear that disclosure will lead to separation & uncertainty:
“Will I have to live with other family?”
“Will I go into foster care?”
“Will they send me away?”

Children may also worry about survival:
“How will we make it if one or both of my parents are arrested?”
“Our family depends on mom/dad’s income for food, housing & everything we need.”

They may fear retaliation:
“If I’m not believed & I’m forced to stay here, will things get worse?”
“Will I be punished for telling?”

This profound fear — mixed with loyalty, confusion, shame & self-blame — can keep children trapped in silence for years.

That’s why safe adults matter.
That’s why believing children matters.
And that’s why protecting a family image can NEVER come before protecting a child.

IF YOU KNOW OF OR SUSPECT CHILD ABUSE, report it! You do not need to have all of the answers… if something doesn’t sit right with you, if you’ve seen or heard something that raised your concerns, that is reason enough to call.👇

Oregon Child Abuse Hotline: 1 (855) 503-7233
(Oregonians, save this number in your phone.)
ATTENTION: You would call 911 if a child is in immediate danger.

Silence protects abusers. Reporting can protect children, interrupt abuse & connect families with the appropriate support & intervention.🙌

05/19/2026

A Myth vs Fact for this Monday!

Children may lie to get OUT of trouble.
But it is far less common for children to falsely disclose abuse in order to get INTO trouble, especially when that disclosure involves someone they know, trust, love, or depend on.📣

For many children, disclosing abuse risks consequences they fear deeply:
• not being believed
• hurting someone they love
• breaking up their family
• getting in trouble themselves
• shame, fear, or embarrassment
• retaliation or punishment

That’s why many children delay disclosure, minimize what happened, omit details or never tell at all.

When a child discloses abuse, it should be taken seriously, handled carefully, & responded to by safe, calm, informed adults.

Believe children. ❤️

05/11/2026

On Mondays, I’d like to start sharing “Myth vs Fact” slides from this page.

This week’s Myth is “Sex offenders are often strangers to the child.” False! (Stranger danger does exist, but it is not the most common risk pathway.)💔

FACT, most child s*x abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows & trusts. Someone close to the child and/or family- a parent, caregiver, coach, family member, neighbor, pastor, teacher, peer… it can be anyone, anywhere. This is what we know to be true.

We also know that there are many reasons why a child does not tell. Silence is usually not about “not telling”—it’s about survival, confusion & constrained choices within a trusted relationship.

Please read & share! The more we know, the more we can do to protect & prevent child abuse.
EVERY child deserves to feel safe.
EVERY child deserves a healthy, happy childhood.📣

05/04/2026

“When children obey out of fear, they learn survival- not self-worth.”

When children comply because they’re afraid of punishment, rejection, or harm— they’re operating in a survival mode. Their brains are focused on staying safe, NOT on understanding values, building confidence, or developing a sense of identity.

Over time, that can shape how they see themselves & the world. They grow up lacking internal motivation (the ability to make choices from within).

They may learn:
* “I am only safe when I please others.”
* “My needs or feelings don’t matter.”
* “Mistakes mean danger, not growth.”

But having internal motivation develops their self-worth, empathy & grows their ability to understand right from wrong. 🙌 When children are guided & raised with safety & respect, they learn confidence, boundaries & how to trust in themselves.❤️

05/04/2026

In April, four members of our MDT team (the District Attorney, a CPS caseworker, a Parole & Probation officer, and myself) had the opportunity to spend time with students at a local school- and it was such a meaningful experience.

We talked about prevention, safety & answered some really great (and honest!) questions from the kids.

One of the most impactful parts was this worksheet that we had K-6 students complete. They identified “safe adults” in their lives—people they can go to if they feel scared, need help, or need to tell someone about something that happened.

This activity reinforced the importance of connection, support systems & help-seeking behaviors.

These are the conversations that matter. 💛

This outreach reflects our MDT’s commitment to prevention, education & empowering children with the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe.

*Talking points: feel free to print this worksheet or do an activity like it with your child. Have them name 5 adults they trust & draw a picture of them.
(We explained to the kids that an unsafe adult might make a child feel “icky”, scared, uncomfortable. And added that a safe adult does NOT hurt a child or ask a child to keep secrets.)

04/20/2026

Yes! Adults asking kids to keep secrets might seem harmless in some situations—but it actually teaches patterns that can make children more vulnerable, especially in situations involving boundary violations or abuse.

An example of what you can tell your child is, “We don’t keep secrets in our family. Surprises are okay because we tell them later. But if someone asks you to keep a secret, you should always tell a safe adult.”

Let’s normalize not asking our kids to keep secrets.

There’s never a good reason for a child to keep a secret.

But what if you need them to stay quiet about future birthday plans? Or about a gift you’ll be giving to someone later?

Teach them about “happy surprises” instead.

A “surprise” feels good. It’s something that we don’t hold on to forever. Eventually we tell people, and it usually makes them happy.

Secrets on the other hand are meant to be kept inside. You’re supposed to stay quiet and silent, even if it feels uncomfortable or icky.

So teach your children that they never need to keep secrets, in fact tell them, “In our family we don’t keep secrets.”

This is one tool you can give them to help keep them safer when you’re not around.

Because when they know they don’t need to keep someone’s secret, chances are they will tell that person (who could be unsafe) and also tell you about it too. ❤️

04/20/2026

Its important to listen to children when they say someone makes them uncomfortable.

Teach them:
📣”If what a person SAYS makes you feel yucky, confused or uncomfortable, it’s not okay.”

📣”If the way a person touches you makes you feel yucky, confused or uncomfortable, it’s not okay.”

Talking to our kids about having body boundaries helps keep them safe. It’s never too early to teach them about “safe touch” & “unsafe touch”.

Key phrases kids can remember:
* “Your body belongs to you.”
* “You get to decide who touches you.”
* “You can say no to any touch that makes you uncomfortable.”
* “Safe touches make you feel okay; unsafe touches don’t.”

04/14/2026

Child abuse defined. I created this as a quick reference for the types of abuse many of us are most familiar with.💙

I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to share—you never know who might need it.

🚩If you know of—or even suspect—a child is being abused, call this number now: 1 (855) 503-7233

❤️You may be the voice that keeps a child safe.

(These definitions are outlined in Oregon law, including others, falling under ORS 419B.005, which is used for reporting and child protective services investigations.)