Talk About It

by Scott Finlay
Director of Development & Communications

Having difficult conversations is never fun.  Perhaps it is the "uncomfortable factor" of the topic.  Perhaps it is the "unthinkable factor."  Having these conversations with other adults is hard enough, but having them with our children is sometimes so difficult that it is neglected altogether, often at the expense of the child's safety and well-being.  When the conversations DO happen, they can be so vague that the child doesn't fully grasp what the parent or guardian is trying to say exactly.

Dr. Mary L. Pulido has written a fine article for the Huffington Post about the necessity of parents having these conversations.  She was moved to write this as a result of the recent flurry of authors, actors and political figures who have gone public with their abuse. 

Take time to READ THE ARTICLE and take time to have the conversation with your kids.  It can make all the difference.

"All That Is Bitter and Sweet" -

by Scott Finlay
Director of Development & Communications.

Stories of abuse catch my eye.  Before coming to work at the Denver Children's Advocacy Center, I was conscious of stories of abuse.  I passively took note.  But since taking this position, I'm struck by the sheer number of stories of abuse that come to light on virtually a daily basis. 

Recently Ashley Judd (one of my favorite actors) released a book about her own personal struggle as a victim of neglect and childhood sexual abuse.  She shares that she "looked really good on the outside," but that inside she was broken and crumbling under the pressure.  She suffered from depression, insomnia and struggled with suicide.

While she emphatically states that her book is "honest" for her, she has also stated that it is not necessarily "accurate."'  I was fascinated by this admission on her part, but the seemingly enigmatic contrast was addressed VERY WELL in an article at Salon.com by Mary Elizabeth Williams.  I encourage you to check it out.  She points out that, "The tricky truth is that life is not always clear-cut. What may well have been just another rollicking Saturday night for the elder Judds may have been torment for its youngest family member. Likewise, you might look back on a teenage experience as coercion, while another might call it abuse -- and you might well both be correct. Time and memory and the other experiences that build up along the way can change perception. They alter the story -- for all of the participants in it."

You may also want to check out the interview on the Today Show mentioned in Ms. Williams' article.  You can also find an excerpt from the book by clicking here.