Jose was a quiet but smart 5 year old boy. His family; mom, 2 older brothers, and an older sister arrived at a domestic violence shelter and settled in for the next 2 months. I met with Jose on a few occasions to color, talk, and play. During one of our coloring dates, Jose disclosed to me that his 15 year old brother, Wes, regularly abused him when no one was around and that he was instructed not to tell. As a mandatory reporter, I called DHS, who immediately sent out a worker to talk with Jose. When the worker and Jose talked, however, Jose chose not to disclose any information about the abuse to DHS.
This is typical with children. When faced with a stranger and asked personal questions, children often do not talk about abuse, whether due to embarrassment or fear of breaking up the family or getting hurt worse than before. Additionally, if questioned while the sibling is in the home, a child will be less likely to speak truthfully. With advocacy and education, we can help children find the support they need to get out of an abusive situation and remain safe. SOSSA's mission is to help prevent abuse from happening and to encourage victims to find a voice to end or recover from abuse.