Breaking the Silence
Child sexual abuse is a societal concern that most of us have difficulty even acknowledging, much less discussing. Yet it casts a dark presence within communities everywhere, placing our most valued assets, our children, at risk. Offenders come in a multitude of forms, with no one "typical" type of perpetrator. Many are victims of abuse and trauma themselves as children, underscoring the importance of trying to stop the cycle of abuse early on. We here at the Children's Advocacy Center of Worcester County seek to do just that, by providing coordinated responses and intervention to child victims of abuse and their families.
What is the Children's Advocacy Center of Worcester County?
Children's Advocacy Centers, or "CAC's", are based on the principle of a coordinated response to child victims. When children are abused, numerous community agencies can become invovled with the family - police, Department of Children and Families (DCF), the District Attorney's office, medical and mental health professionsls, and victim advocates. In the past, these agencies typically worked independently of each other and often resulted in multiple interviwews of the child. This in turn led to increased traumatization for the child and decreased conviction rates for offenders. Under the CAC model, the child is interviewed once with representatives from each agency present. This is known as a forensic interview, or S.A.I.N. interview in Massachusetts. CAC's look to coordinate services to the child and family, including follow up services like counseling to help minimize trauma.
The Worcester County CAC serves communities through Worcester County and all of Central MA. We are currently a hospital-based CAC, with UMASS Memorial Children's Medical Center (UMMCMC) being the lead agency. CAC's typically fall under on of three models - hospital-based, DA based, or freestanding non-profit agency. CAC's are a nationwide model accreditied through the National Children's Alliance (NCA) in Washington, D.C., and are imbedded throughout the U.S. with over 700 accredited Centers at this time.
All too often, children are scared or ashamed about coming forth with their victimization. Offenders operate in this veil of secrecy, using silence as a means of perpetrating their heinous crimes against children. The CAC of Worcester County seeks to give voice to these child victims, obtain justice, and promote healing via a coordinated, multi-disciplinary team response.
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CAC partner agency links
UMASS Memorial Child Protection Program
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr's office
We can't do it without help from the community
