STOP The Silence 12for12K Challenge

Just writing the blog hurts my heart. I can't even stand it when I see children fall on a sidewalk. My skin literally crawls in sympathy. You can imagine that being sexually abused is a sight worse. While I can't imagine how someone could do such a thing to a child, if I can do something to prevent it, then I'm being the good I want to see in the world.

This is just such a cause. WWW.12for12k.org is a group that selects a charity a month and goes forth to raise $12,000 for each charity during their sponsored month. You can give to the charity by going to www.12for12k.org and donating. They're only asking for $10 per person. $10 is like 2 trips to Starbucks. If you can treat yourself to that, you can share $10 with an organization that's doing good in the world. This month's charity is called Stop the Silence.

"The Mission of Stop the Silence is to expose and stop child sexual abuse and help survivors heal worldwide. The charity’s overarching goals are to:

1) help stop child sexual abuse (CSA) and related forms of violence;

2) promote healing of victims and survivors;

3) celebrate the lives of those healed."

Do you know someone who was a victim of sexual abuse when they were a child? You sure? One in four American girls are sexually abused as children and one in seven American boys are. This is a silent epidemic. Abused children are afraid to talk about the abuse. I understand that most sexually assaulted children are abused by someone they know, love and trust.

According to the world health organization (WHO) in 2002, 150 million girls and 73 million boys were sexually abused. I don't have a calculator at hand, but that's approximately 1 in 30 of everyone in the world. If that's not an epidemic, I don't know what is. Yet, it's quiet; hidden - not spoken of lest the adult abuser be put to shame. Nevermind that they've destroyed a life - or more. The children only know that someone they trusted did something they shouldn't. And if xxxx gets put in jail, who's going to put food on the table? Do we listen as well as we should to our children?

My mom was a guardian ad litem for a court system. She saw first hand the evil that adults can do to children. It's the only time she's wanted to kill someone. A friend in my Mom's Club works directly with abused children in a local center. It's her training and she's glad she can help. But she has a 2 year old and it eats at her soul.

I am incredibly protective of my children's innocence. I imagine that I'm not alone in wanting to protect children. We can help a group that's making a difference by donating to www.12for12k.org this month - February - for Stop the Silence. Make a difference today. Share $10, share what you can.