Survivors and service providers suggest a number of options. First, survivors feel that it is vital for professionals and institutions not only to make the connection between a history of sexual child abuse and revictimization, but to communicate that connection to victims. The therapist never mentioned it again and the case was closed. Of course, it can take time for a survivor to confront his or her own history, even when the possibility of an abuse history has been suggested to them. Oregon crisis center trainer Johnson, for example, had sought help for migraines for years.
Society needs to wake up and change the system.
Therapists should not be able to work with sexual abuse cases without being trained. Attorneys should not take cases unless they're educated about these issues. These would include everything from basic information on sexual assault to understanding how other issues, such as substance abuse, can point to the existence of childhood and other trauma. Others see both research and training as vital to begin solving these problems. We need to start with service providers.