Breaking the Silence

One Atlanta Organization Wants Everyone to Discuss Childhood Sexual Abuse and Offers a Safe Haven for Survivors When I first meet Erin, I am reminded of my younger sister, who ran away as a teen.

My sister was 15 when she and a friend hitchhiked from Florida to Los Angeles, making it as far as Dallas before calling home. With no money in their pockets, my sister and her friend got rides from truck drivers in an unthinkable way. She only told me once what happened to her that week she was out there, and I try not to think about it.

Now, it’s 15 years later when Erin walks through the door, and I know immediately it is her, for the resemblance to my sister the day we picked her up at the airport is undeniable. Dressed in black, she has her cap pulled down over her eyes and can barely make eye contact with me. She speaks in a whisper, if she speaks at all. Mostly she just nods her head “yes” or “no,” wishing she could be anywhere else but meeting with a journalist about her past.

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Girls of abuse regain voices

by Gracie Bonds Staples
Published on: 06/01/08

RUTLEDGE — The girls — some lying on their stomachs, some sitting with their legs tucked beneath them — formed a circle on the floor. It was midday, and another group therapy session had begun at Camp CADI, a retreat designed to foster confidence in sexually abused girls and help them find their voice through music, dance, drama and storytelling.

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