“Sexual abuse is estimated to affect one in four girls and one in six boys before the age of 18” (Matta 367). In fact, the vast majority of these sexual abuse cases involve children. “Researchers have estimated that children make up 66% of all known victims of sexual assault, and sexual abuse has accounted for approximately 7% to 10% of all reports of child maltreatment in the United States” (Bolen 39). These startling statistics shine a light on a serious issue that many Americans face today. It is an ongoing issue that many people feel very uncomfortable discussing because it can be a very sensitive topic. The more people who openly willing to discuss this issue, the awareness is going to be created. However, sexual abuse can happen to anybody.
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There is a direct link with neighborhoods that have an alarmingly high poverty rate and sexual assault. We saw evidence of these sexual abuse issues while reading David Shipler’s book, The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Shipler touches base about this issue of sexual abuse specifically in Chapter Six of his book, Sins of the Fathers. He introduces us to a variety of different characters – characters that are survivors of sexual abuse. Each of these different characters come from different backgrounds and have different demographics. However, they are connected to one another because of what has sadly happened to them. In the beginning of the chapter we are introduced to Barbara, a case worker involved in a mentoring program for children at risk. We learn about all of the uniquely different cases that Barbara has been involved in. One case in particular involved a ten year old little girl. She had been raped by her sixty-seven year old father (Shipler 143). The little girl has confessed to Barbara about what has happened to her. She was completely unware that what her father was doing to her was wrong. She thought this was something that
There is a direct link with neighborhoods that have an alarmingly high poverty rate and sexual assault. We saw evidence of these sexual abuse issues while reading David Shipler’s book, The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Shipler touches base about this issue of sexual abuse specifically in Chapter Six of his book, Sins of the Fathers. He introduces us to a variety of different characters – characters that are survivors of sexual abuse. Each of these different characters come from different backgrounds and have different demographics. However, they are connected to one another because of what has sadly happened to them. In the beginning of the chapter we are introduced to Barbara, a case worker involved in a mentoring program for children at risk. We learn about all of the uniquely different cases that Barbara has been involved in. One case in particular involved a ten year old little girl. She had been raped by her sixty-seven year old father (Shipler 143). The little girl has confessed to Barbara about what has happened to her. She was completely unware that what her father was doing to her was wrong. She thought this was something that