Combating Child Sexual Abuse

This explosive memoir is the first book to take readers inside a rape crisis center-to the front lines in the battle to protect children from sexual predators. It is set in the 1980's, a time when the "secrecy code" surrounding child sexual abuse is shattered by an unprecedented influx of child sexual abuse cases, stunning the nation. Why do the children finally speak out? Who do they tell? What is done about it? Bonati answers those first gut-wrenching calls that come through on the crisis line-"I think this child might have been sexually molested. Can you please help me?" Included are riveting case stories, uttered from the mouths of victims, ranging in ages from pre-school children to adult survivors. She describes an antiquated criminal justice system unequipped to deal with children accusing adults of felonious crimes. As a twelve-year child sexual abuse coordinator for Rape & Assault Support Services of Nashua, New Hampshire, Bonati interviews over three hundred children, confronts The System, testifies for legislative changes, and educates the public. Written in an easy to read, conversational style, this book brings a down-to-earth understanding of a complex problem that still faces us today, offering concrete steps we can take to stop this heinous crime.