Harry's Gang: Protecting vulnerable kids is job No. 1 at First Witness

It’s been happening since people started having kids, but in recent years some people are trying to do something about it.

I’m talking about First Witness, a group dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse. I’m familiar with their work, because in divorce cases, sometimes there are allegations of child abuse, and First Witness gets involved. Their work is impeccably reliable. Generally, if First Witness says abuse happened, it did. Just as importantly: if First Witness says they have no indication of alleged abuse, it probably didn’t happen.

It’s critically important to trust such an agency. In an era where even the weather is becoming politicized, it’s nice to know we can rely on the dedicated folks at First Witness Child Advocacy Center to provide a balanced, objective approach to a very scary and emotional topic: sexual abuse of children.

According to Traci Clanough (rhymes with “Donna,” she told me), executive director of First Witness, as many as one in six girls, and one in eight boys, will experience some kind of sexual abuse before they turn 18. The trauma of abuse has significant effects later in life, and because of the stigma and secrecy associated with sexual abuse, many children suffer the consequences well into adulthood.

Fortunately, Clanough pointed out, children can (and will) heal from child sexual abuse, especially if the abuse is caught early enough and the children are directed to appropriate services.

And that’s really what First Witness is all about. You probably know what a “mandatory reporter” is; it’s someone such as a teacher, therapist, or other person in authority who is obligated, by law, to report suspicions of abuse. Well, once that abuse is reported, First Witness steps in and conducts an interview with the victim. It’s that first step that gives the program its name “First Witness.” The interview program has been developed to arrive at credible allegations and to weed out coaching, fantasy, and inconsistent stories. And since the interviews are recorded, it also prevents multiple interrogations of the victim from police, parents, social workers and defense attorneys. It’s been extremely successful.

The program’s success has led it to other missions. For example, program leaders realized that their model could also be used to help educate the public and work to prevent abuse from occurring in the first place. After all, it’s easier for children to thrive as adults if they have never had to experience the pain of child abuse. A little training directed toward those most impacted is a smart strategy.

To that end, they have developed the Safe and Strong Child Program, an outreach program that takes First Witness into the schools and the community, and provides the education, tools and resources necessary to empower victims of child abuse and help break the stigma attached to it. “The program delivers child abuse prevention education to not only children, but also the people they spend most of their time with: parents, school staff, and community leaders,” Clanaugh told me.

She also mentioned that the outreach program receives no government money, so they rely on donations to keep it going. They are wrapping up their “I Stand With Kids” campaign to raise enough money to keep the outreach program going; their goal is $50,000. It’s not too late to pledge (it never is, with nonprofits) and if you are interested, contact First Witness at 218-727-8353.

Pete Radosevich is the publisher of the Pine Knot News community newspaper and an attorney in Esko who is finally hosting the longtime cable access talk show “Harry’s Gang” on CAT-7 again. His opinions are his own. Contact him at [email protected].