Leaving children under the care of known institutions can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you’re confident of their safety, on the other hand, you might be too confident. During the past decades, explosive controversies involving child sexual abuse (CSA) in religious sects and youth service-oriented organizations unmasked an appalling truth – predators are able to penetrate institutions with access to the children.
Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), also known as Y, is a not-for-profit international youth organization with 10,000 locations in the US. It’s geared toward youth development by improving their health and well-being through promoting Christianity and humanitarian work and offering athletic facilities and skill-related classes.
How Places like YMCA Attract Predators
In 2015, Nicolas Lhermine, another YMCA child care center worker was sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty for sexually abusing four girls aged 3 to 7. The offender admitted to a slew of crimes including possession of child pornography and committing acts of lasciviousness against a child by force.
In 2012, Jonathan Lord, a YMCA child care worker in Australia, was arrested and charged with sexual and indecent assault of boys aged 6 to 11. According to the Royal Commission, YMCA in Sydney’s south failed to conduct a background on the offender after being dismissed from the YMCA Silver Beach Camp in Jamesville, Virginia for “questionable behavior.”
These cases are two of the other cases implicating YMCA in sexual abuse crimes. Ultimately, things boil down to the fact that places with access to children will attract predators. This is why it’s critical for institutions like YMCA to ensure strict hiring procedures and other preventative measures are in place. While the number of cases implicating YMCA is minimal compared to that of the Boys Scouts of America or Boys & Girls Club of America, one case of CSA is one too many.
Parents, guardians, and even children put their guards down while in a supposedly safe environment. This confidence in institutions fosters a false sense of security that predators will exploit. Moreover, predators aren’t people you’ll instantly recognize; some of them are prim and proper, sometimes trusted figures in the community.
Even with rigorous hiring protocol, predators may still circumvent the system due to one major systemic issue: not all abusers are reported or caught. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 3 out of 4 sexual assault cases go unreported and only 5 out of 1,000 rapists will be incarcerated. This, along with the fact that children are more likely not to report their abuse, places them at incredible risks.
Signs of Child Sexual Assault
It’s especially important to detect signs of distress or discomfort in children as primary prevention or preventing abuse before it ever occurs proves to be the best way to save children and adults from the long-term effects of sexual violence. For children, here are potential manifestations of abuse
Physical signs:
- Difficulty sitting and walking;
- Bleeding, redness, or rashes in the genital area;
- Painful bowel;
- Frequent urinary tract infection (UTI);
- Frequent headaches or stomach aches;
- Bruises in the inner thighs and genitals or breasts;
- Unexplained anal or vaginal bleeding, irritation, or pain; and/or
- Sexually transmitted disease (STD).
Behavioral and emotional signs:
- Regressive behavior or using old behaviors like bedwetting;
- Age-inappropriate sexual behavior;
- Excessive talk on sexual topics;
- Refusing to remove clothing or being left alone;
- Refusing to talk;
- Change in mood (increased aggression) and eating habits;
- Lost of interest in friends, hobbies, school;
- Self-harming ;
- Low self-confidence;
- Unexplained health problems like stomach upsets and headaches; or
- Nightmares.
- Signs of depression, like withdrawing from usual activities and persistent sadness;
- Eating problems, overeating or lack of appetite;
- Signs of physical abuse, like bruises;
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and/or other genital infections;
- Failing grades;
- Suicide ideation and suicidal behavior;
- Decrease in self-care and/or hygiene; or
- Alcohol or drug use.
The perpetrator may also show telltale signs of grooming like offering gifts off occasions, treating the child with special favor, trying to insert themselves into the child’s life. If you feel something is off, talk to your child and consult with the school or organization.
Handling the Consequences of Abuse in a YMCA
Sexual violence leads to long-term repercussions. Child victims of sexual abuse are at increased risks for developing psychological and even interpersonal issues long before they’re expected to mature. It is a difficult journey but establishing a good support system is a start for victims and survivors.
Child sexual abuse victims may struggle with a range of psychological and emotional issues in adulthood. This may include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance and/or drug abuse, and body image issues among others. It’s also found that victims and survivors of CSA may be victimized again as adults due to certain vulnerabilities.
During the recovery period, victims and survivors may require therapy, forms of medical care, or a combination of both to avoid or, at least, palliate the consequences of the abuse. This, along with the financial requisites of the recovery and daily life, may put pressure to the family. This is why families of abuse victims also have support groups; to know how to respond to their situations and to be able to share their woes with a community that understands and cares.
Filing a Case for Against YMCA
If and when you decide to pursue legal action against your abuser, you will have to decide whether to file for a civil or criminal lawsuit. While a criminal lawsuit may potentially get your perpetrator in jail, this type of suit will require the plaintiff to prove that the defendant is guilty without a reasonable doubt. It may also incur fines but this will be limited to economic damages and may not cover your expenses for recovery and loss of income.
A civil suit, on the other hand, will require no jail time for the perpetrator but you will be entitled to damages or monetary compensation. This means the plaintiff may be awarded economic and non-economic damages. In this type of case, the plaintiff will only be required to prove that the defendant is more than 50% likely to have committed the crime.
In civil lawsuits, you may pursue the institutions whose negligence may have licensed your abuse. Going after larger entities isn’t just for the money; it’s about holding abusers and enablers accountable. It’s about stopping the cycle of abuse.
We hear your concerns and understand your predicament, that’s why our attorneys here at America’s Consumer Lawyer work hard in providing a safe environment for our clients. We will strive to build, defend, and win your case by holding abusers accountable, be it private individuals or giant institutions.
We see you as a person, not just a client – and that makes us better at what we do. We listen. We learn your story. And, as we help you get the money you deserve, we go above and beyond in a way most law firms never could and never would. Because we’re not just lawyers. And you’re not just a client. We’re friends, neighbors, family. We’re all people and here at America’s Consumer Lawyer, we put people first.
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