CVA Answers Archive - Zero Abuse Project https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/ Fighting Sexual Abuse of Children Wed, 29 Nov 2023 03:38:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://zeroabuseproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/favicon.png CVA Answers Archive - Zero Abuse Project https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/ 32 32 Am I going to be shunned for speaking out? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/am-i-going-to-be-shunned-for-speaking-out/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=am-i-going-to-be-shunned-for-speaking-out Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:47 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=am-i-going-to-be-shunned-for-speaking-out There are huge rewards and many risks in coming forward and disclosing in the court system that you are a victim of child sexual abuse coming forward is a huge step on the path to healing for many survivors but for others there are other pathways and no one can determine what is the best ... Read more

The post Am I going to be shunned for speaking out? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> There are huge rewards and many risks in coming forward and disclosing in the court system that you are a victim of child sexual abuse coming forward is a huge step on the path to healing for many survivors but for others there are other pathways and no one can determine what is the best pathway for any individual person I highly suggest that you talk with your family and your attorney if you believe that this might put your job at risk or if you believe you will be shunned by your community every survivor needs to determine if coming forward is a good path for healing or is the best path for them there are also protections for survivors of child sexual abuse who come forward using the civil justice system survivors have the option of filing under a Jane or a John Doe and that protects their identity in the court system so that their employer as long as their employer is not the entity being sued will not know that they are a victim of child sexual abuse no one outside of the direct judicial system need know that you are coming forward it is up to every individual survivor to decide the best path towards healing so talk to a therapist talk to an attorney and talk to a trusted friend talk to someone who’s been through the process there are many paths and you could always find one that is the best for you.

The post Am I going to be shunned for speaking out? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> 31684 If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward-2 https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward-2/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward-2 You can come forward as a Jane or John Doe. Your name doesn’t have to be on the front page of the newspaper. You don’t have to tell everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. This is a personal choice for you and attorneys can help you navigate this by having you as anonymous. So even if you ... Read more

The post If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> You can come forward as a Jane or John Doe. Your name doesn’t have to be on the front page of the newspaper. You don’t have to tell everyone at Thanksgiving dinner. This is a personal choice for you and attorneys can help you navigate this by having you as anonymous. So even if you don’t want it to be out there in the paper or to your family, don’t let that stop you. There are still options for you.

The post If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward-2/feed/ 0 31665 If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward The media and the press cannot let out your name on public documents especially if you’re under eighteen.

The post If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> The media and the press cannot let out your name on public documents especially if you’re under eighteen.

The post If I don’t want everyone to find out about what happened to me, can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-dont-want-everyone-to-find-out-about-what-happened-to-me-can-i-still-come-forward/feed/ 0 31664 If I have evidence of a child being abused. What do I do with it? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-of-a-child-being-abused-what-do-i-do-with-it/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=if-i-have-evidence-of-a-child-being-abused-what-do-i-do-with-it https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-of-a-child-being-abused-what-do-i-do-with-it/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=if-i-have-evidence-of-a-child-being-abused-what-do-i-do-with-it First thing you should do is call child protective services and alert the police. Reporting to law enforcement is absolutely fundamental. You should not hesitate to share your concerns or suspicions

The post If I have evidence of a child being abused. What do I do with it? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> First thing you should do is call child protective services and alert the police. Reporting to law enforcement is absolutely fundamental. You should not hesitate to share your concerns or suspicions

The post If I have evidence of a child being abused. What do I do with it? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-of-a-child-being-abused-what-do-i-do-with-it/feed/ 0 31666 If I have evidence, but wasn’t abused myself, what should I do? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-but-wasnt-abused-myself-what-should-i-do/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=if-i-have-evidence-but-wasnt-abused-myself-what-should-i-do https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-but-wasnt-abused-myself-what-should-i-do/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=if-i-have-evidence-but-wasnt-abused-myself-what-should-i-do If you have evidence of abuse or you know of abuse that’s happened, or you suspect that abuse is happening, please contact law enforcement and hand over the evidence. Tell them the details that you know. Not only will this help them be on guard about the person that you’re giving evidence, but also it ... Read more

The post If I have evidence, but wasn’t abused myself, what should I do? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> If you have evidence of abuse or you know of abuse that’s happened, or you suspect that abuse is happening, please contact law enforcement and hand over the evidence. Tell them the details that you know. Not only will this help them be on guard about the person that you’re giving evidence, but also it might help other cases that are currently pending and cases being dropped. You could be helping survivors and you could be helping protect children from being abused in the future.

The post If I have evidence, but wasn’t abused myself, what should I do? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-i-have-evidence-but-wasnt-abused-myself-what-should-i-do/feed/ 0 31667 If my parents signed a secret settlement, or non disclosure agreement can I still come forward? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-my-parents-signed-a-secret-settlement-or-non-disclosure-agreement-can-i-still-come-forward/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=if-my-parents-signed-a-secret-settlement-or-non-disclosure-agreement-can-i-still-come-forward https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-my-parents-signed-a-secret-settlement-or-non-disclosure-agreement-can-i-still-come-forward/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=if-my-parents-signed-a-secret-settlement-or-non-disclosure-agreement-can-i-still-come-forward If your parents signed a secret settlement or a gag order or if you signed a secret settlement or a gag order you should still talk to an attorney. Your parents had no right to sign away your rights as a victim of abuse. And any institution has no right to sign you into secrecy. Always ... Read more

The post If my parents signed a secret settlement, or non disclosure agreement can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> If your parents signed a secret settlement or a gag order or if you signed a secret settlement or a gag order you should still talk to an attorney. Your parents had no right to sign away your rights as a victim of abuse. And any institution has no right to sign you into secrecy. Always talk to an attorney to see what your rights are Because the Child Victims Act and opening of statutes of limitation is about exposing predators and getting them off the streets. Gag orders are about silencing victims and enabling abusers. Talk to an attorney because you might be able to expose a predator, help other children, and help other survivors of child sexual abuse.

The post If my parents signed a secret settlement, or non disclosure agreement can I still come forward? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/if-my-parents-signed-a-secret-settlement-or-non-disclosure-agreement-can-i-still-come-forward/feed/ 0 31668 It’s been so long since I was abused, does it still matter? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/its-been-so-long-since-i-was-abused-does-it-still-matter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-been-so-long-since-i-was-abused-does-it-still-matter https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/its-been-so-long-since-i-was-abused-does-it-still-matter/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=its-been-so-long-since-i-was-abused-does-it-still-matter Absolutely. It is never too late to get help with child sexual abuse. Because if you don’t, there’s a great possibility that you can act out in so many harmful ways to yourself and others. In my case, I acted out a self-destructive behavior and I acted out angrily. Fortunately, I had a job that ... Read more

The post It’s been so long since I was abused, does it still matter? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> Absolutely. It is never too late to get help with child sexual abuse. Because if you don’t, there’s a great possibility that you can act out in so many harmful ways to yourself and others. In my case, I acted out a self-destructive behavior and I acted out angrily. Fortunately, I had a job that paid me to create mayhem and that was playing in the NFL, so I was able to take out my frustrations on the field. However, after playing the game, I was left with myself and still feeling being abused. With that untreated sexual abuse, I can’t emphasize enough the fact that once I started, I was able to admit that I was abused. I could get only then the help that I needed. Each time I was able to free myself from talking and sharing about it and realize that I am NOT alone.

The post It’s been so long since I was abused, does it still matter? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/its-been-so-long-since-i-was-abused-does-it-still-matter/feed/ 0 31669 The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me I totally understand someone being scared about coming forward because their abusers are still powerful in that institution. It is the same situation for me. Your past doesn’t have to be used against you. Proceed with the help of support from your family, local resources, and a good attorney that can help you navigate these ... Read more

The post The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> I totally understand someone being scared about coming forward because their abusers are still powerful in that institution. It is the same situation for me. Your past doesn’t have to be used against you. Proceed with the help of support from your family, local resources, and a good attorney that can help you navigate these waters.

The post The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me/feed/ 0 31670 The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me-2 https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me-2/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me-2 I wish I could tell you that it’s easy to come forward against somebody powerful, I wish I could tell you that the case would go forward easily. I wish I could tell you that none of your past will be used against you but unfortunately I cannot. I faced backlash myself when I came ... Read more

The post The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> I wish I could tell you that it’s easy to come forward against somebody powerful, I wish I could tell you that the case would go forward easily. I wish I could tell you that none of your past will be used against you but unfortunately I cannot. I faced backlash myself when I came forward about my abuser and my abuser wasn’t anybody powerful or important but the good news is, there are a lot of people out there who want to support you. They are your fellow survivors, they are mental health professionals, lawyers, law enforcement, and organizations that want to stand with you and help you weather the backlash. They will also help you handle, move you forward as you go through the difficult process of holding your abuser accountable.

The post The person who abused me is still a powerful person in the organization. I’m scared. Will my past be used against me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/the-person-who-abused-me-is-still-a-powerful-person-in-the-organization-im-scared-will-my-past-be-used-against-me-2/feed/ 0 31671 This experience may bring out old traumas. What counseling services are available to me? https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/this-experience-may-bring-out-old-traumas-what-counseling-services-are-available-to-me/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-experience-may-bring-out-old-traumas-what-counseling-services-are-available-to-me https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/this-experience-may-bring-out-old-traumas-what-counseling-services-are-available-to-me/#respond Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:22:27 +0000 https://www.zeroabuseproject.org/?cva-answers_2=this-experience-may-bring-out-old-traumas-what-counseling-services-are-available-to-me There’s a lot, and if you call the National Sexual Assault Hotline they can put you in touch with resources in your community. Not all of them are fee based; some of them are free. Depending on when your abuse happened you might also be entitled to crime victim compensation from the state which can ... Read more

The post This experience may bring out old traumas. What counseling services are available to me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> There’s a lot, and if you call the National Sexual Assault Hotline they can put you in touch with resources in your community. Not all of them are fee based; some of them are free. Depending on when your abuse happened you might also be entitled to crime victim compensation from the state which can reimburse you for some of your counseling expenses. So there are resources available. People can help identify things to help.

The post This experience may bring out old traumas. What counseling services are available to me? appeared first on Zero Abuse Project.

]]> https://zeroabuseproject.org/cva-answers/this-experience-may-bring-out-old-traumas-what-counseling-services-are-available-to-me/feed/ 0 31672