Muskogee Woman Teaches Children To Speak Out About Sex Abuse

A woman who teaches school children in Muskogee about how to spot and report sexual abuse said it's been very successful. Shelly Stout goes to every elementary school in Muskogee each year to give her presentation about sexual abuse. She said after her class, many kids end up coming forward saying they've been a victim.

"We've normalized talking about it with our children," Stout said. Shelly Stout is the Child Abuse prevention coordinator in Muskogee.

It's a job she got after a state law went into effect in 2015, requiring child abuse education in schools. Shelly was a forensic interviewer and studied elementary education -- so it was a perfect fit. The position is funded by grants through the city of Muskogee.

"Giving them the opportunity and voice and power of what to do next," Shelly said. Shelly teaches the program each year to each grade in Muskogee elementary schools about the difference between safe and unsafe touches, how to recognize abuse and how to find a trusted adult to tell.

It's been successful because since January, Shelly has made 21 reports to the child abuse hotline from kids who came to her after one of her presentations. "We say no, we get away, and we tell a trusted adult," said Stout.

From there, people like Lt. Emily Pippin with the Muskogee police department coordinate interviews with the victims and investigate the suspects. "These perpetrators take something from a kid they can't get back," said Lt. Pippin.

Lt. Pippin said no child abuser looks or acts the same, and the cases are very difficult and change victims' lives. Shelly and Lt. Pippin say preventing abuse from happening in the first place is the most important.

"Being able to bring justice to the kiddo is an unreal feeling," Lt. Pippin said. "It's powerful -- it's emotional." Despite it being a law, these programs are not in every school. If you want it in your school, start with a local child advocacy group.