In this post, Melanie describes her childhood sexual abuse, the long aftermath (shame, fear, self-harm), and how disclosure at a child advocacy center helped her begin a non-linear healing journey grounded in faith and finding her voice. She frames “hope” as turning pain into purpose through writing, survivor-centered trainings/presentations (including work with SHIELD Task Force), and advocacy/education—especially around trauma’s physical impacts like pelvic pain.

The number of online child-sexual abuse reports from West Virginia surged during the pandemic — about 1,791 tips were submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2021, roughly 50% more than in 2019.

A child-welfare expert speaking to WBOY warned that reports of child abuse and exploitation on social media are rising — especially involving online grooming, exploitation and abuse by predators using social-media platforms.

January 2019 — WBOY news coverage of SHIELD’s 2019 “Break the Chains” forum

January 2019 — WDTV news coverage of SHIELD’s 2019 “Break the Chains” forum

West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice held a training event in Martinsburg focused on improving how professionals recognize, respond to, and handle child abuse cases, bringing together multidisciplinary teams to strengthen investigation skills and support for child victims.

The article profiles Robert Peters, a Liberty University law alumnus who, inspired by work with a child-abuse response organization, became a prosecutor focused on reducing human trafficking and child abuse and later co-founded the SHIELD Task Force to help end child abuse through training, prevention, and support.

SHIELD hosted a community panel at Fairmont State University bringing together survivors, prosecutors, law enforcement, medical professionals, and advocates to address barriers to reporting child abuse and emphasize proper response. Speakers highlighted alarming local and statewide trends, the link between substance abuse and child maltreatment, the role of mandatory reporters, and the critical importance of believing and protecting children.