Currently if there is any question of child abuse or sexual trauma, a child must Speak the trauma clearly to a forensic interviewer at a child advocacy center. Sounds like no big deal until you consider that these children have often been groomed and threatened Not to speak. This is scary and confusing in an already tragic situation. Not allowing a child to write or draw their traumatic experience and forcing them to speak to a stranger about it is barbaric. Children communicate differently than adults. They often turn to other forms of expression - such as writing or drawing - to articulate their feelings. This creative medium lends them the mental space to process their experiences in their own terms. To deny them this outlet is to silence their voices and stifle their healing. Growing up as a child exposed to abuse is a reality that no one should have to face, but unfortunately the number of abused children has skyrocketed. Many are sent back to the abuser because they are unable to speak about the abuse. This doesn't mean it never happened and in fact sets them up for even more dangerous situations such as retaliation from the abuser as a punishment for "telling their secret".

Being forced to speak about the trauma with officials after being groomed and threatened not to speak or you get no help and are forced back to the abuser,  should be illegal.

The process of seeking help or justice can be as traumatic as the abuse itself, if not more. In the United States alone, nearly 700,000 children are abused each year, with those who report it often forced to recount their horrifying experiences verbally in court or during Child Advocacy Center (CAC) interviews [source: National Children's Alliance, Child Maltreatment 2019 report by the Children's Bureau]. It's asking them to relive their nightmares, a barbaric practice that only adds to their trauma.

We must shift our institutional processes to accommodate the specific needs of child victims. Policymakers should consider allowing these children to testify or report their experiences through written or drawn statements, instead of subjecting them to stressful verbal testimonies or interviews.

For all the children who've undergone a similar horrifying journey, our plea is simple: acknowledge our trauma, respect our methods of communication, and allow us the dignity of narrating our stories in a way we're most comfortable with.

It's not just about justice, but about compassion, empathy, and respect. Please sign this petition to call on our lawmakers to change these punitive norms and offer an alternative that fosters healing instead of inflicting more harm/trauma.