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Long & Simmons Law

Talking About the Unthinkable

What every parent should know about child sexual abuse and how to respond.

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1 in 4Girls experience CSA before age 18
1 in 13Boys experience CSA before age 18
~38%Of victims ever disclose to anyone

Build a Home Where Nothing Is Unspeakable

What the legal, forensic, and educational experts at Long & Simmons Law want every parent to know about child sexual abuse — and what to actually do about it. Carli Moncher Forensic Interview Specialist & Educator Matt Long Long & Simmons Law Kristin Long Educator & Child Development H. C.

Why Children Don't Tell — and How to Change That

Delayed, partial, or redirected disclosure is common, including cases involving loyalty to the abuser or confusion about who to name. This is one reason parents and investigators need to understand why children sometimes name the wrong person when disclosing abuse.

"It's not the pain itself that is so traumatizing — it is the idea of being left alone with that pain."

The following recommendations are drawn directly from a roundtable led by Matt Long, partner at Long & Simmons Law and former prosecutor, together with members of the firm's investigation team — forensic interview specialist and educator Carli Moncher, educator and child development specialist Kristin Long, and investigations expert H. C.

Grooming: What It Actually Looks Like

Jenkins — professionals who have collectively worked thousands of cases. Their core message: the best protection a child has is an adult who knows how to listen.

The Real Impact: Body, Mind, and Identity

Trauma can affect the way children encode, retrieve, and explain what happened. This is why investigators and parents need to understand how trauma permanently alters a child's memory and sense of self.

If a Child Tells You: How to Respond Without Causing More Harm

Avoid leading questions and contact a trained professional. The technique matters because how forensic interviewers are trained to elicit reliable accounts from children can affect whether a child is heard accurately.

A Note for Faith Community Families

What the legal, forensic, and educational experts at Long & Simmons Law want every parent to know about child sexual abuse — and what to actually do about it. Carli Moncher Forensic Interview Specialist & Educator Matt Long Long & Simmons Law Kristin Long Educator & Child Development H. C.

You Don't Have to Prevent Everything. You Have to Be Someone Safe.

Jenkins Investigations Expert Child sexual abuse (CSA) is one of the most under-discussed and widely misunderstood harms affecting children today. It doesn't announce itself. It doesn't look the way we imagine. And the children experiencing it are often the last ones to say a word.

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