Editors’ summary
Members of the community describe the experiences of CAUSE (Cleveland Against Child Abuse), a voluntary community group set up in response to the crisis to improve public awareness of sexual abuse. The group was time limited but its analysis and proposed model for development still stand. The authors look at how societal avoidance or denial might be replaced by better advocacy for children, achieved by an alliance of abuse survivors, conscientious professionals and concerned community members. They describe the group's activities: distributing a leaflet (see the Appendix), which refutes 15 misconceptions about child abuse that had been fostered by the media; a survey of public opinion in South Cleveland where they found, to their surprise, that in fact 62% of people supported the paediatricians; and organizing public meetings at which the Cleveland professionals were given a voice. Based on this experience, they outline a vision of a protective community and the stages of its development.
Child sexual abuse will continue as long as we simply focus on individual children, one at a time, applying crisis measures when abuse is revealed. It is also important, but not enough, that children and families and offenders are healed after sexual abuse happens. A more general healing of society is required to change attitudes which promote and condone sexually abusive behaviours. (Bagley and King, 1990, p. 203)
Introduction
This chapter examines the necessity for community involvement in the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse. We suggest ways in which professionals and the community can start working together for the sake of children at risk. We uncover the influences and processes which dissuade the community from giving a mandate to professionals to protect and help children, and the catastrophic consequences.
The chapter refers to the experience of a community group, Cleveland Against Child Abuse (CAUSE). It is not intended as a history of CAUSE or the ‘Cleveland crisis,’ but will examine the tasks facing the pro-child community group in the light of CAUSE's experience.
CAUSE's work is unfunded. Its methods are empirical, and it works to long-term goals which cannot yet be evaluated. Short-term progress has been made by relatively simple measures: opening up the public debate about child sexual abuse, publishing basic information about abuse, telling the truth and reiterating it patiently, listening to community opinion and creating a vehicle for its expression.