Bridge reaches out to stop abuse

The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center is best known for helping the victims of abuse, but one of the group’s facilitators says the Bridge is also reaching out with programs aimed at preventing abuse and recognizing the signs of abuse.

Jennie Waggoner, who works out of the Bridge’s main office in Amarillo, conducts interviews with victims and is now coordinating meetings in rural areas to raise awareness about abuse.

The Bridge provides services to more than 1,500 children annually in the top 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle. Eighty percent of the children are victims of sexual abuse. Sixty-seven percent of abuse victims are female, 96 percent of offenders are male, and 99 percent of offenders are known to the child.

“It’s more common than people think,” Waggoner said.

To help raise awareness and prevent abuse, the Bridge offers five programs that can be presented to parents, teachers, schools, churches, and civic organizations. The programs are presented free of charge and are about an hour long but can be shortened to fit whatever time is available. They cover a variety of topics including abuse indicators, how to respond, prevention strategies, how to talk to your child, common myths, and techniques used by offenders.

One program focuses on informing parents about protecting children in the information age, including making the Internet safer for kids, online predators, and Internet lingo.

The Bridge has offices in Amarillo, Pampa, and Hereford, and is funded solely through donations, the United Way, and grants. Bridge personnel conduct videotaped interviews with abuse victims between the ages of two and 17, and those interviews are admissible in court.

“It doesn’t keep the victim off the witness stand, but it does keep them from having to tell their story over and over,” Waggoner said.

The Bridge conducts sexual assault exams in a child friendly atmosphere for victims ranging in age from zero to 17 and also refers victims and families to counseling.

The Bridge accepts donations of money as well as disposable cameras, blank journals, Goldfish crackers, boxed juices, stuffed animals, and school supplies.

“Every child who comes to the Bridge gets a toy, juice, and some crackers to put them at ease,” Waggoner said.

For more information about the Bridge or to schedule a presentation, call Waggoner at 372-2873 or visit their website at www.bridgecac.org.