It
is not necessary to make physical contact with a child to inflict sexual abuse.
The American Psychological Association, the Incest Survivors Resource Network,
and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
all acknowledge non-touching sexual abuse. The American Psychological
Association website says, “Child sexual abuse is not solely restricted to
physical contact; such abuse could include noncontact abuse, such as exposure,
voyeurism, and child pornography.”
Any sexual
conduct, or threat of sexual conduct harmful to a child's mental, emotional, or
physical welfare is sexual abuse. Violating a child’s reasonable expectation of
bodily privacy, like watching on them in the shower or bedroom or bathroom or
in states of undress, is sexual abuse.
Exploiting
the fear of sexual abuse to coerce behavior is sexual abuse.
A child cannot discern if the threat of sexual exploitation is just a hollow
threat or if it is a precursor to an attack.
A
facility owned by the agency responsible for identifying child abuse, and
caring for abused children cannot claim ignorance to children’s perception of potential
sexual exploitation. Staff at Valley of the Moon Children’s Home exploit sexual
terror in order to coerce compliance of the children in their care. Ygritte was
one such child.
After
an emotionally exhaustive afternoon dealing with the death of both of her
parents, Ygritte attempted to be by herself in her room away from staff.
She closed the door and sat with her feet on the door, trying to assure her
privacy. Two male staff members pushed their way
in her bedroom.
Ygritte
left her room and went into the bathroom. One male staff member held the
bathroom door open while Ygritte was in the shower stall. A female staff member visually “checked on” Ygritte while she was in the shower stall with
the curtain drawn. A male staff member entered the bathroom but quickly left
with the second male staff member.
Ygritte
left the bathroom, turned around, walked back into the bathroom, and locked the
door to the bathroom. A male and female staff member tried to
unlock the door but were unsuccessful. They called for a key. Ygritte opened
the door but did not exit. Male staff member again obstructed Ygritte’s
attempts to lock the door to the bathroom and regain her privacy in the
bathroom. Ygritte tried to push the male staff member out of the way and kick his foot
out of the way so she could close the door to the bathroom.
When
Ygritte’s multiple attempts to escape sexually vulnerable and exploitative
situations by staff failed, she left the bathroom and attempted to leave the
facility by walking out the outside door. Two male staff members followed and restrained her. She told them to stop touching her but they
refused. The police arrived and Ygritte told them that she was hearing voices and
wanted to hurt people. The police took Ygritte to the hospital for
psychological evaluation. She was released from the hospital one hour later.
Ygritte was not kept in the hospital because it was determined that she was not
a danger to herself or anyone else.
When
Ygritte returned, she spoke with her mental health care provider Behavioral
Health Clinician Nina Roynoso. According to Supervisor Mark Regan’s written account, “She
[Ygritte] expressed to Nina that she had no intention of hurting herself, and
that she was wanting some space away from DCS [Direct Care Staff], and to be
left alone.”
Ygritte
was not a danger to herself or anyone else. Ygritte was in potentially sexually
exploitative position with four staff members; three men, and one woman. She
took extreme measures to assure the police would be called and she would be
taken away from the facility.
All
children at all facilities have an expectation that they will be allowed to
take a shower or use the bathroom without staff demanding to view their naked body or enter the shower
while they are naked or could be naked. Any child in the shower stall should be
assumed to be naked, even when the water is not running.
Staff
were commended for their professionalism in this incident. According to
Supervisor Mark Regan’s written report, “On 12/19/13 a debriefing was held with
all involved DCS and Supervisor Regan. The DCS all felt supported during the
incident. They were all acknowledged for their professionalism and utilizing their
dynamic risk assessment."
Inciting
fear of sexual abuse and ignoring fear of sexual abuse in order to coerce
behavior is no different to the child than a person expressly threatening to
rape them if they do not comply. Entering a shower without reason is a sexually
abusive and exploitative situation which cannot be unknown to staff.
Staff
justified their behavior by stating that she tried to kill herself approximately
a month before this incident when she was living at another group home. Valley
of the Moon Children’s Home’s license forbids them from taking children who are
a danger to themselves or others. If Ygritte was in immediate danger of harming
herself as was suggested in this report, then the Sonoma County Department of
Human Services deliberately endangered her life by placing her in a facility which
cannot take such children.
Either
Valley of the Moon Children’s Home knowingly violated the terms of their
license by housing a child they knew was a danger to herself or they lied to
justify the use of sexual abuse exploitation as coercion.
Based
on the mental health care professional’s assessment, Ygritte was not a danger
to herself or others. Any justification to watch her in the bathroom or shower
was summarily disproven by the mental health professionals who determined her
mental state and potential danger to herself.
As
punishment, Ygritte was placed on intensive monitoring which included increased
observation of her in her bedroom, bathroom and shower; exploiting the terror
of sexual abuse in order to coerce her behavior.
“Sexual abuse can include both touching
and non-touching behaviors. … Non-touching behaviors can include voyeurism
(trying to look at a child’s naked body), exhibitionism, or exposing the child
to pornography. Abusers often do not use physical force, but may use play,
deception, threats, or other forms of coercion to engage children and maintain
their silence.”
