Stories of Hope
Sadly, Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Often Go Hand in Hand
Jenn’s husband was romantic and charming when they first met. He took her and her five children into his home and promised to care for them. Over time, Jenn stopped spending time with friends who took her away from him and the home. She eventually quit her job to focus on raising the children, including the new baby they had together. When her husband got a new job in Tucson, Jenn moved away from the rest of her friends and family, and began to lose contact with them. That’s when the abuse really began.
Helping Doctor’s Recognize Abuse
When babies first start walking, they run into things, fall down, and have a lot of bruises. But when 14-month-old Cassidy was covered in bruises and suddenly unable to put weight on her legs at all, her doctor knew it was more than typical toddler clumsiness. The doctor called us for advice, and we helped him make a report of suspected child abuse. Cassidy’s mom shared her concerns about how the babysitter handled things, and cooperated with the investigators from law enforcement and child welfare who came to her house. She said she would stay home to take care of Cassidy and wait for their appointment at the Children’s Advocacy Center.
Sisters’ Healing Journey to Become Survivors
Jennifer’s teacher never thought she would be making a child abuse report on one of her students when she received mandatory child abuse reporter training from the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC).
However, the teacher knew exactly what to do when Jennifer disclosed that her father was molesting her, and she was afraid he might do the same to one of her three sisters…
Showing Lisa she has Value in her New Family
We met Lisa a few months ago when she came to the Center. She thought she might be in trouble, because she had run away from home, when actually her older sister brought her to the Center because of what she learned after Lisa got to her house.
Lisa told her older sister, “I don’t care what you have to do, but I can’t go back there…”