Child Sexual Abuse Is Not Inevitable. Our Silence Makes It Possible
by trevor storrs
More than half of reported felony-level sexual assault victims in Alaska are children. Most are harmed not by strangers, but by someone they know and trust.
In Hispanic and Latino families, la familia is everything. They raise their children surrounded by parents, grandparents, tíos, madrinas, godparents, coaches, teachers, and faith leaders. They teach their children to respect adults and trust their community. Those values are a strength, but they also place a profound responsibility on all of us to protect children from harm.
Recent headlines over the past few months have revealed painful truths about children being sexually abused - both nationally and here in Alaska. These stories are heartbreaking, but they are not new. Too often, when concerns are raised, institutions and organizations choose to handle abuse internally rather than report it. Warnings are ignored. Children remain at risk. And places meant to be safe become places of harm.
The data tells us something we cannot ignore. More than half of reported felony-level sexual assault victims in Alaska are children. Most are harmed not by strangers, but by someone they know and trust. These are not isolated incidents; they are failures of adults and systems to act when children need protection most. Like all communities, Hispanic and Latino families are affected by child sexual abuse. Nationally, Latino children account for roughly one in five child maltreatment victims, and research suggests sexual abuse is significantly underreported in Latino communities due to stigma, fear of system involvement, and language or immigration barriers. Studies of adult Latinas also show that a substantial share report experiencing sexual abuse during childhood, often by a trusted adult, underscoring the urgency of prevention and early intervention.
As a community, we must confront uncomfortable truths, not just about abuse, but about silence. Cultural values like respect for authority, loyalty to institutions, and fear of shame can make it harder to speak up. But protecting children must always come before protecting reputations, traditions, or comfort.
Child sexual abuse rarely begins with violence. It often begins quietly, through grooming - when an adult builds trust, crosses boundaries, and creates secrecy. This can look like special attention, private time, gifts, or asking a child to keep secrets. When adults don’t recognize or question these behaviors, predators are able to continue harming children.
Prevention must begin long before a child ever discloses harm. Parents and families need to feel empowered to trust their instincts and ask questions when something feels “off.” Children need clear, age-appropriate education: the correct names for body parts, the right to say no, the understanding that no adult should ask them to keep secrets, and knowledge of which trusted adults they can turn to for help.
Families should also feel confident asking those who care for their children hard but necessary questions before allowing their children to participate, like “Who supervises one-on-one interactions?”, “Are adults trained in abuse prevention?”, or “What happens if a concern is raised?”
Places that serve children, whether schools, sports programs, or faith communities, must adopt strong prevention policies, enforce clear codes of conduct, and report concerns immediately. Anything less puts children at risk.
When abuse is hidden, the damage lasts for generations. Survivors often carry the weight of silence for decades. Families break apart. Communities lose trust. And abusers remain protected by secrecy and inaction and continue to hurt more children.
We must choose a different path. Child sexual abuse is not inevitable. It is preventable when adults are informed, courageous, and united. Our children are watching. They are trusting us. Let us prove that their safety matters more than silence.
To learn more about how to prevent child sexual abuse, visit alaskachildrenstrust.org/csa-prevention. If you are a survivor, your voice matters. Learn how to share your story at storiesact.org.
Trevor Storrs is the president and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust, or ACT, a statewide agency that addresses prevention of abuse and neglect in children.
