DUMMERSTON — For all the importance of the subject of child sex abuse, only about 20 people showed up a Sept. 23 forum organized by Greg Brown, a member of the Windham Community Advisory Board to the State Police, and Lt. Kraig LaPorte of the Vermont State Police in Brattleboro.
Working in close association with the Putney and Dummerston school boards, Brown said the Dummerston forum followed on the heels of a similar forum in Jamaica late last year, as well as a 2009 public hearing in Vernon that raised interest and concern with regard the to the sex offender registry in Vermont.
The Dummerston forum in the school gymnasium covered the topics of prevention and education of children about sex abuse, what to do if a child reports inappropriate touching or behavior from an adult, who are the biggest offenders of sexually abusing children, signals and signs to take note of in a child that might indicate abuse, and what resources are available for victims and their families.
As Baxter noted, “It's a difficult subject to talk about. People don't even want to admit it happens, let alone educate themselves and their families about it.”
“Kraig really put this together. He knew who to include [in the panel] and where everyone was,” Brown said.
Panelists included Windham State's Attorney David W. Gartenstein; Phil Damone, program supervisor of probation and parole for the Vermont Department of Corrections in Brattleboro; Connie Baxter, Executive Director for Windham County Safeplace Child Advocacy Center/Southeastern Unit for Special Investigations; state police Lt. Dee Barbic from Bennington County; Southeastern Vermont Special Investigations Unit Detective Tyler Burgess and LaPorte.
While the forum had nothing to do with the Act I mandate for sex education of staff and students in the schools, it was attended by several members of the school board and the Dummerston Principal Jo Carol Ratti.
“Our students are well educated,” Ratti said. “We tell them to notice anything that 'makes the hair on the back of their neck stand up'– and believe me, we hear about it. They're really good about talking to us. The issue that remains [most difficult to deal with] is [sexual] abuse within families.”
Ratti noted Dummerston's teachers regularly attend classes and education workshops on such concerns as child abuse, whether it is physical or sexual, and that the Dummerston health curriculum delivers developmentally appropriate education about safety and reporting of anything that makes a child feel uncomfortable.
LaPorte stressed that sexual abuse is a “relationship based” crime; people who commit sexual abuse on a child are likely to be a father or stepfather, a grandfather or step-grandfather, or a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend of the mother of the child; someone the child knows well.
For an offender, LaPorte said that “trust between the sex abuser and the child victim is key to success. It's how the offender controls the child, keeps it secret and continues the abuse.”
Because of the stigma of guilt and shame, sexual abuse committed by a family member or close friend of the abused goes unreported for long after the event, if ever. Childhood sex abuse causes mental and physical illness in the victim, as well as social integration issues. Successful treatment can only happen with disclosure.
“The social stigma, not wanting the guilt associated with their family, or even retribution after disclosure, are all reasons people do not make reports,” LaPorte said. “Worse, the child is not believed, or whoever the child talked to didn't want to believe it.”
Burgess said the keys to disclosure and prosecution of an offender for sexual abuse crimes are “to make sure there is good communication between you and your children, that they feel safe and know they will be believed if they report something to you.”
“Once the child starts talking, don't interrupt them. Just let them talk,” Burgess stressed. “The success of our investigations for prosecution depend on the statement of the child being unsullied by outside ideas or interpretations of events.”
He said the most important step is reporting the child abuse to the Department of Children and Families to make the offender accountable and stop the abuse.
“Most often, a report is never made,” Burgess said, “and the abuse continues.”
The sex offender registry available online through www.dps.state.vt.us is accurate to the extend that the convicted sex offenders comply, and in the case of offenders who move in from out of state, to the extent that their offenses are relative to Vermont sex offender laws.
Vermont protects the rights of sex offenders to live anywhere without restriction unless mandated otherwise by the court upon their release, and provided they are in compliance with registering, their release provisions, and they do not re-offend.
Damone said in the case of high risk offenders - there are three in Windham County - the town clerk or selectboard might be notified of the offender in their community.
Otherwise, the sex offender registry will tell you who is in your town, but not their address. Offenders are not restricted as to where they live, again, unless the court mandates specific avoidance of risky locations like schools or day care centers.
Gartenstein described Vermont and the Attorney General's office as extremely aggressive on violations of sex offender registration and compliance.
“We will prosecute,” he said. “If someone moved and didn't tell us and we find out, we prosecute. If anyone violates conditions of their release, goes where they shouldn't go, doesn't show up when they are supposed to, we prosecute.”
Damone said that compliance checks are carried out in proportion to the level of the sex crime. The higher risk offenders might be checked for compliance three to four times a week; the less risky offenders, once a month.
“We stay on top of them,” Damone said.
Damone also stated that child sex abuse crimes are on the decline in the state. He attributed this to more openness, communication and reporting over the past two decades.
“Most of the offenders have been reported on,” he said. “They're either in custody or are out [and in the registry].” Convicted offenders must register for 10 years following their release.
Sex offenders commit further offenses at a rate relative to the time they spent incarcerated, when sex offenders begin treatment immediately. Offenders in jail for five years or less have about an 8 percent repeat rate, while those who are in for 15 years or less, have a 24 percent recidivism rate. “Age plays into it too,” Damone said. “The older they are [50 and over], the less likely they are to offend.”
Treatment is based on the sex offender's self-awareness of risk factors and why he or she engages in that behavior. Offenders learn to monitor their own behavior.
Child sex abuse is on the steepest rise on the Internet.
All the panelists noted ongoing investigations - three just that week - of adult males luring underage Vermont girls someplace to have sex. Online child pornography is also on the rise.
LaPorte stressed that kids just are not aware of the risks involved with putting nude pictures of themselves on the web via their cell phones.
“That picture can be shared and then it's out there and anyone can see it,” he said.
In the case of 'sexting' (using sexually explicit language), he said, “You don't actually know who you are talking to online. They might say they are a 14-year-old girl, but they could be just posing as one, a sexual predator.”
“It happens more than you'd like to think,” LaPorte added. “They're teenagers. They just don't know.”
Reporting child sex abuse is the key to keeping children safe and accountability. The number to call to report child sex abuse in Vermont is 800-649-5285.