Lisa Longoria Bourgoyne, MEd, LPC-S. Lisa is a member of one of our Alliance churches, Houston’s First Baptist Church, and works as the Program Director at our local advocacy center, The Children’s Assessment Center.
Lisa, thank you for taking the time to tell us more about the terrible problem of child abuse and what we can do to help protect kids.
What can you tell us about your role?
It is an honor to be part of the mission of The Children’s Assessment Center (The CAC) and to have served our community for the past twenty-five years. Since 1991, we have been steadfast in our commitment to reaching the sexually abused children in every part of our community and to promoting the complete healing of children and their families. We are one of 939 Children’s Advocacy Centers in communities across the US and abroad, serving over 386,000 children last year.
As Program Director, I oversee the daily operations of The CAC’s core services: forensic interviewing, family and victim advocacy, medical services, therapy and psychological services, and multidisciplinary team (MDT) coordination. The CAC also leads the Child Sex Trafficking Advisory Council and a robust prevention, training, and outreach program. Our practitioners are trauma-informed and believe in a child-centered, multidisciplinary team response to child sexual abuse. We recognize the courage it takes to walk through our doors, so we strive to give our personal and professional best to all the children and families who find their way to us.
What are some examples of things you might see each day? How do these kids get referred to you? How many children a year do you see?
More than 600,000 children are abused in the US each year, and child welfare authorities oversee the safety of more than seven million children. The most vulnerable being the youngest children, those in their first year of life. In the Greater Houston area, 10,945 children were confirmed victims of child abuse. Nearly 3,700 of those children were referred to The CAC because of allegations of child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, severe physical abuse, and witnesses to violent crimes.
When allegations of abuse are reported to authorities, The CAC response focuses on safety, healing, and preventing future abuse. We do this through coordinated investigations, specialized medical evaluations, forensic interviews, assessments, and victim and family advocacy. We also provide ongoing therapy, psychological, and psychiatric services, and we prioritize complete healing, authenticity, and transparency regarding the civil and criminal justice processes. There is no fee for services, and all children who need our help receive the same quality of care regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status.
What are some common factors of child abuse?
Unfortunately, no child or youth environment, no race, religion, or economic class is free of child sexual abuse; it can happen to any child in any home at any time. However, children are at higher risk for child sexual abuse if they have a family history of sexual abuse; children with parents who experienced child abuse are three times more likely to experience abuse themselves. Other risk factors include children living in homes with parental problems, intimate partner violence, relationship issues, substance abuse—a huge factor— or mental health issues, and children who live in the home with a stepparent or paramour (non-nuclear families).
It is important to remember that a child is never to blame for child sexual abuse. Children may blame themselves because an abuser has convinced them it is their fault. Children may blame themselves because they accepted gifts or because they did not tell anyone, but there are so many reasons why children don’t tell. If you were a victim of child sexual abuse, remember it was not your fault. It was never your fault.
If you were a victim of child sexual abuse, remember it was not your fault. It was never your fault.
What might a typical abuser look like?
90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser. Abusers can be friends, neighbors, or family members, and they are in our homes, churches, youth groups, schools, rec centers, sports leagues, online, and other places children gather. The majority of abusers are male, and more than 70% of children who are sexually abused are abused by a peer, primarily at school.
90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser.
What do you want the church in our city and beyond to know about the suffering of abused children?
Child sexual abuse is one of the most prevalent public health issues facing our communities today. One in ten children will be the victim of sexual abuse before their eighteenth birthday. Last year alone more than 56,000 children were victims of abuse or neglect across the state of Texas. Tragically, twenty-eight Harris County children lost their lives to child abuse and/or neglect, many at the hands of a parent or caretaker.
Every day critical work is being done across our state to keep families safely together. We invite the church to help us spread the word that child abuse prevention cannot be done alone. Some of the ways we can work together to help prevent child abuse and neglect is found in trainings like Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children®. Their training is built based on the 5 Steps to Protecting Children®: Learn the facts; minimize opportunity; talk about it; recognize the signs; and react responsibly.
As a faith community, we will cause a tremendous reduction in child sexual abuse when we take these steps together. When we see a reduction in child sexual abuse, we will also see less violence, less substance abuse, less mental illness, less homelessness, and less of many other adverse effects on our society.
What does it mean that sexual abuse of children is often a gateway to trafficking?
Child sex trafficking (or the commercial sexual exploitation of children) is one form of child sexual abuse, and child sexual abuse makes children more vulnerable to sexual exploitation. In fact, more than 90% of children who are commercially sexually exploited have been sexually abused in the past.
I think what most people don’t know is that many victims of child sex trafficking live at home and attend school; some are exploited by their family or family friends, and no one chooses this life. But even with increased attention, stronger laws, and policies available to assist victims, breaking this cycle of abuse can be incredibly difficult.
More than 90% of children who are commercially sexually exploited have been sexually abused in the past.
What can we do to help stop child abuse and child trafficking?
If you SEE something, SAY something. DO something. Intervene when child abuse occurs to ensure safety, justice, and healing for victims while holding offenders accountable.
If a child discloses abuse to you, the most important thing you can do is believe them.
Learn the early warning signs and report suspected abuse to ensure early intervention with victims and offenders. Make sure staff and volunteers are trained, know the signs, and respond responsibly. Establish a code of conduct in your church for appropriate interactions with kids and ensure that staff, volunteers, and members of the church commit to it.
How have you seen the breakdown of the family in our society affect the well being of children overall? Does the problem seem to be getting better or worse, or is it staying the same?
We know from ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) research that child abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction are linked to increased risk for poor social, emotional, and physical health outcomes. We also know children living in troubled homes with parental problems, domestic violence, relationship issues, substance abuse, and mental health issues, as well as children who live in the home with a stepparent or paramour (non-nuclear families), are at higher risk for abuse. So the breakdown of the family definitely impacts the wellbeing of children.
I have also seen an increase in severity of the abuse over time. Children are exposed at higher rates and offenders are younger and younger. It’s heartbreaking.
What are some ways we can contribute right now, right where we are?:
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and we need your help to protect the children in our community. There are many ways to contribute:
*To Report an Incident of child abuse, call 1-800-252-5400.
* If you are a survivor of sexual abuse or intimate partner violence, you are not alone. Free, confidential help is available 24/7 at (346) 295-8994.
