Fifteen percent of the calls were from abusers. Seventy-four percent recognize that sexual abusers are likely to live in their communities. Although Vermonters are more able to talk about abuse, they still do not know what to do when faced with a situation of sexual abuse. Direct action includes talking with the child who may be the victim, talking with the adult or child who may be abusing, or reporting the abuse to authorities. This data is reinforced by most calls to our helpline, in which callers are unsure of what action to take.
Society responds primarily to cases where a child discloses sexual abuse.
While the number of people stepping forward may seem small, Vermont s total population is only 590,000 people. The data collected from our helpline, from the opinion surveys, and from the surveys of clinicians and county prosecutors demonstrates that some people who sexually abuse children are willing to reach out for help. All rights reserved.