After case closes, work to heal victims begins

Posted in The Newark Advocate December 6, 2015

by Bethany Bruner

NEWARK - Mackenzie Peterson, a psychologist practicing in Granville, treats some victims in sexual abuse cases. She said about one-third of her caseload involves patients who have dealt with some type of sexual abuse.

"Especially with children, what I've found is that (the impact) is all encompassing," she said. "It has an impact on most areas of their life."

Peterson said victims can have trouble paying attention and difficulty in school and they tend to have strained social interactions because of the damage to their ability to trust others.

The ability to trust is not just something the victim is working to regain.

Peterson said in counseling, her role is to help the whole family unit, especially when a suspect is someone who was a part of the family in some way.

"It's hard to build the trust back up as a family and build strength," she said. "Sexual assault is such a trauma, but when it's in the family, you need outside support."

Victims need recognition that they are not to be faulted or blamed for what happened to them, Peterson said.

"It has a huge impact when (the victim doesn't) feel total support," she said. "It leaves a shadow of a doubt that it is their fault."

Licking County Prosecutor Ken Oswalt said family's non-verbal behaviors can send signals of blame to the child, even if an adult's words tell them otherwise.

"If you're moping around the house and you used to be a sunny-dispositioned person, the child will connect that mom's sad because dad isn't here anymore and the child will react to that," he said.

Newark Police Detective Steve Vanoy said children and families in Licking County also have resources available with the Kid's Team and Kid's Place. The Kid's Team is comprised of officials from social services, law enforcement, medical providers and others to provide comprehensive support to families and victims through all stages of the criminal process and its aftermath.

"That's what is really great about Licking County," he said. "We have a system in place."

Kid's Place allows law enforcement officials to have a kid-friendly space to use for forensic interviews of children and allows medical professionals to see the child in one place, instead of different doctor's offices.

Other counties and hospitals also have similar multi-faceted teams in place and both Greene County Prosecutor Stephen Haller and Kyle Rohrer, First Assistant Prosecutor in Delaware County, mentioned these resources as being key for victims to begin to heal.

"This doesn't have to define them," Peterson said. "With treatment and the proper support and with some kind of consequence (for the perpetrator), they're able to heal and move on."