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"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you." Psalm 9:9-10  

Can you imagine your 14-year-old daughter being sexually violated and having to learn to live with the abuse? This morning, my wife and I talked about that very subject and did not want to imagine any child experiencing such horror.  As a retired mental health professional, I've counseled my share of clients that's been sexually abused, so I'm sure you can imagine the excitement I experienced after the House of Representatives and the Senate overwhelmingly voted to release all of the Epstein files. I pray that all of those victims receive the justice they deserve and every perpetrator answers for the abuse they caused. 

Did you know the following:

  • Up to 35% of minors (females) are victims of sexual abuse.
  • Approximately 500,000 babies born in the US this year (2025) will be sexually abused before the age of 18.
  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men were sexually abused before the age of 18.  
  • Children are victimized at much higher rates than adults when it comes to sexual abuse. 

As you prepare for what life has in store for you today, please remember to pray for every victim of sexual abuse. Ellen Bass & Laura Davis, authors of the book, The Courage to Heal, wrote these words, "So often survivors have had their experiences denied, trivialized, or distorted. Writing is an important avenue for healing because it gives you the opportunity to define your own reality. You can say: This did happen to me. It was that bad. It was the fault and responsibility of the adult. I was-and am- innocent." 

As the names of perpetrators are exposed, prepare for and pray about what so commonly happens to victims of abuse, and do everything you can to help protect them. What happens? Judith Lewis Herman writes, "In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens." After 30 years of fighting, don't you think it's time for all Americans to listen?    

2025 Copyright (c) Elton L. Young
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