Child sexual abuse thrives in secrecy

Sexual abuse of children is often referred to as a silent crime because it is one of the most under-reported crimes that happens in society. 

For a variety of reasons, including fear, shame, guilt and lack of understanding, among others, victims of child sexual abuse and the adults who provide care and support to those children often don’t report the crime. Statistically, less than 30 percent of all cases of child sexual abuse are reported to authorities.

“Perpetrators of child sex abuse count on secrecy, and a lot of times it works,” said Dana Toole, a licensed clinical social worker with the Montana Children’s Justice Bureau. “It’s really commonly misunderstood. I think some people, trained professionals even, sometimes think they should have hard evidence or proof before making a report, but all they have to have is suspicion. Anyone who suspects a child has been abused should report it immediately and let the professionals do their jobs.” 

Toole said there are two primary ways for a concerned person to report child sexual abuse: through child and family services or through local law enforcement. In both situations, initial reports are taken and then cross-reported to the other agency.

The child and family services division of the Department of Public Health and Human Services operates a centralized intake system through which calls are initially screened, reports taken and then forwarded to appropriate local investigators for response. Those reports are also sent to local law enforcement for investigation.

In addition to the problem of low reporting rates, the investigation and prosecution of child sex cimes is a difficult process, Toole said. 

“Nobody wants to report child sex crimes,” she said. “These are very challenging cases to investigate and prosecute.”

The problem, she said, is magnified in smaller communities where people just don’t want to believe such things could be taking place.

“No one, including local law enforcement, likes to believe that the people we know and trust in our communities are hurting children,” she said.

Another common misconception that hinders investigation and prosecution is the belief that child sex abuse reports often stem from bitter divorce or custody fights. Toole said statistically, abuse claims in those situations are generally more often found to be valid.

“On the face, it can look like a revenge situation,” she said. “In reality, abuse is more likely to be occurring in those cases than in cases where there isn’t a divorce or custody fight. There are more substantiations of abuse in cases involving custody. There are more valid reports, it’s just that the investigation and prosecution is more complicated.”

Toole said there are limited avenues of recourse available to people who feel local law enforcement or child protective services investigators aren’t pursuing cases appropriately. The two formal channels are to file reports with either the Montana Attorney General’s office or with the state ombudsman in the Children’s Justice Bureau.

The ombudsman has no authority to force local law enforcement or child services to investigate or prosecute, but does have the ability to put additional pressure on local agencies. The ombudsman can also intervene with emergency safety plans when children are in imminent danger.

The Attorney General, Toole said, has the statutory authority to take over a county attorney’s office and manage prosecutions, but such power is very rarely used.

“It’s historically not how the Montana Attorney General’s Office has operated,” she said.

What is most important, she said, is for reporting parties to be persistent and continue to push for justice for potentially abused children.

“The official recourse is very limited,” she said. “What is most important is that someone is very persistent in the pursuit of protection for the children involved.”

Because child sex abuse is a crime of silence, and because offenders generally don’t stop until they’re caught, she said it is of paramount importance for the entire community to be aware, educated and ready to report suspicion of child sexual abuse.

“It’s a rare offender who has abused a child or a couple of kids and they’re the only ones,” she said. “It’s likely there are other victims out there. Child sex abuse is a community problem. We need to own it as a community. Communities want to believe child sexual abuse doesn’t happen, but it does. We need families and parents and communities to start these dialogues and develop personal safety curriculums to protect our children.”