Victim Advocate Camden County Missouri Prosecuting Attorney's Office

11/25/2021

We wanted to take this chance to express to you our sincere appreciation . We are deeply thankful and extend to all of you our best wishes for a happy and healthy .
‘ Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 🍁 day’ 11-25-2021
We closed on Thursday thanksgiving day 25 and opened on Friday 26 …
Thank you 🙏🏻😍

10/03/2021

What NOT to say to a child who disclosed s*xual abuse. The way you respond determines whether or not that child will continue the path of healing. When a child is met with victim shaming like this when they disclose the first time, they often will not look for help again because it’s proven unsafe.

Try saying something like this instead:
“Thank you for telling me”
“I believe you”
“This isn’t your fault”
“I can get you help”
“I know who we can talk to”

Those questions may pop in your mind because our natural response is that we don’t want to believe something so terrible could happen, but catch yourself before verbalizing them and give yourself time later on to process the disclosure.

10/02/2021

Estefan said the abuse started little by little before moving fast, and that she knew that she was in a dangerous situation after confronting him.

09/28/2021

The singer, best known for the 1996 hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case.

09/11/2021

We remember.

08/15/2021

Today is National Financial Awareness Day. Did you know that financial abuse is a common tactic used by abusers to gain power and control in a relationship? Ruined credit scores, sporadic employment histories, and legal issues caused by the abuse make it extremely difficult for survivors to gain independence, safety, and long-term security. Learn more: https://buff.ly/37HZ904

08/12/2021

Borrowed from another page.

07/28/2021

There's a growing willingness among adults, including lawmakers, to discuss child s*x abuse. But the conversation needs to broaden.

07/26/2021

This.

Simone Biles came on the TV screen.

My husband commented to our girls - “She’s the world’s greatest gymnast”.

I added, “and she’s really brave”.

My 5yo looked at me and asked, “why?”

So I told her.

“Because the American gymnasts used to have a team doctor, who turned out to be a tricky person. He was touching the girls’ private parts. For the girls it was so scary to tell anyone. They didn’t know if anyone would believe them and they were scared they’d lose their spot on the team.

But Simone Biles was one of the girls who spoke up and said what had been happening, and now that tricky doctor is in jail”.

I could see she was still listening, so I added,
“And now, she’s got her own Gymnastics centre, where they make sure the kids are all safe, where their parents can easily watch over them, and they are spoken to kindly instead of being yelled at, which is what lots of coaches do, but it’s not ok”.

My daughter didn’t respond.

She got out of her chair, and watched every moment of Simone Biles’ routine.

⬆️ Teachable moments about body safety and children’s rights are everywhere.

Take them.

(Photo from the Team USA Instagram page, Getty Images).

** Editing to add: please know that this post was never intended as a history lesson. I’ve written word for word what I said to my 5yo - I did my best to simplify the story for her, and I represented that here.

Simone Biles was not the first athlete to speak out, she spoke out later - I don’t think this makes her less brave. People go through their own journeys and speak up in their own time. She has kept showing up. She has pressed for change. All of this is brave beyond measure.

If you haven’t heard the story, or want more information, please watch the documentary Athlete A. Or just Google it. You can find all the details just about everywhere.

The response to this post has been overwhelming.

I hope the key point was clear: Seize the moments to talk to your kids. Be open. There are age-appropriate ways to talk about everything. They are ready for more than you think.

07/07/2021

Dearest Erin,

We cannot imagine a world without you. Yet, here we are. Hollow. Missing your voice, your laughter, your antics, your care.

You had a way of making each of us feel seen and understood; your empathy granted effortlessly. You poured yourself into others; seeing a need and meeting it. Your huge heart always reaching, giving, and pounding. It had to take a toll sometimes, feeling how we all felt so deeply. Most of us are capable of a fraction of what you gave, even though we truly do care too. We hope you felt our appreciation and care in return. We hope we filled your cup too.

Not only did you give care but you created such joy. Real joy that comes from authentic conversation, from deep laughter, from truly knowing each other. You were the bright spot of our days; ready with a hug or a scare. We have been laugh-crying with our memories, since we found out you were gone. There are so many, Erin. Thank goodness, we still have pieces of you.

You are truly one of a kind: full of love, gifted with such generosity, and a clear awareness of our humanity. At your core, you were fueled by grace and faith. This is what allowed you to truly shine brightly. You are irreplaceable. The gift of knowing you has been life altering for us. May we always seek to do good, to grant kindness, and to live life to the fullest.

Oh how deeply we will feel the absence of your presence. This missing you is just beginning for us. They say you have the family you are born into and you have the family you choose. You chose us, Erin. We could not be more grateful for your willingness and openness to do that, day after day And we chose you. We are family and always will be. We will miss you next to us. But you are forever a part of us; in our mission, in our passion, and in our care.

Erin, you are the heart of us.

We love you so and miss you more,
Your Kids’ Harbor Family

08.19.1972-07.05.2021

06/20/2021

Instead of asking a child if anyone has hurt them, ask if anything made them uncomfortable. Children may not have been physically hurt, but someone could still be touching them or doing other things that make them uncomfortable.

Things like...
-showing them inappropriate pictures or videos
-asking for pictures or videos
-touching them in a way that makes them uncomfortable
-talking in a way that makes them uncomfortable
-pushing boundaries
-giving unwanted attention