Were you victimized through childhood sexual abuse while residing at a juvenile detention center? Have you remained silent, never making allegations against your abuser?
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our sexual abuse lawyers have resolved many cases involving physical or sexual abuse, where the victim was raped, coerced into inappropriate sexual activity, or sexually molested by staff members who committed unspeakable crimes.
Speak with a youth detention center sexual abuse lawyer today at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free consultation. We are here to listen to your story in a confidential setting and are ready to initiate an investigation to hold the accused financially accountable.
Sexual abuse is one of the significant issues faced by detainees in juvenile detention centers across the US. Various studies suggest that almost 7-10% of detainees experience sexual abuse ranging from sexual assault to rape or inappropriate touching during their time in juvenile detention facilities.
Sexual Assault in Juvenile Detention – Is Your Child a Victim?
Many people are unaware of the prevalence of sexual abuse in juvenile detention centers. However, figures suggest that sexual assault is quite common in juvenile detention, with most victims reporting a sexual assault involving the detention facility staff.
Juvenile detention centers were conceived as places that will guide, educate, and support young people hoping that the months or years spent in these facilities will help prevent future crimes and allow inmates to mentally heal and lead an everyday life once they are freed.
The presence of sexual predators in such facilities undermines the initial purpose of juvenile detention centers and puts young adults at significant risk.
Parents who are worried about their child’s safety in a juvenile detention facility must also consider the possibility that their child may face sexual abuse at the hands of the facility staff or other inmates during their time in the facility.
Facts and Figures on Juvenile Detention Center Sexual Abuse
A report titled “Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth” published by the US Department of Justice in 2012 presented a bleak picture of the juvenile detention facilities in the country. As per the findings of this report, a whopping 9.5% of all adjudicated youths in juvenile detention facilities across the country reported sexual assault involving staff and other children.
Some facilities, such as the now-defunct Paulding Regional Detention Center in Georgia and Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility in Ohio, reported sexual abuse cases of at least 30%.
There were also wide variations based on gender, age, and race, as males constituted almost 89.1% of the victims at the hands of the detention facility staff, where perpetrators were usually female staff members of the facility.
Male youth reported a higher rate of abuse than female inmates (8.2% vs. 2.8%). The higher rate is likely because males constitute the vast majority of inmates in these correctional facilities compared to females.
Thus it’s evident that male victims will outnumber female victims of their overrepresentation in correctional facilities. On the other hand, female victims reported a higher number of abuse by other inmates, 5.4% vs. 2.2% reported by male youth.
The child’s race also played a disturbing role in sexual assault as black youth reported the highest number of sexual assault cases in juvenile detention centers by the facility staff compared to white or Hispanic youth.
The reasons behind this aggressive racial behavior are unknown, and further research is required to understand why black males are targeted more in detention facilities.
The DOJ report mentioned above suggests that the modus operandi of sexual predators remains the same across different detention facilities as numerous victims reported that they were groomed before being molested by the facility staff.
In addition, often, the detention facility staff would give preferential victims material gifts before assaulting them.
Some Recent Notable Cases of Sexual Abuse in Detention Centers
Here are some recent cases of sexual molestation that came to highlight due to the efforts of various organizations, media, and activists:
Sex Abuse Charges Expand to Second New Hampshire Youth Center
ABC News recently reported on the arrests made by authorities in New Hampshire on sexual abuse allegations that involved a Youth Development Center in Manchester and a Youth Development Center Unit in Concorde. The state made eleven arrests and charged four youth detention center workers with sexual assault.
The Youth Development Center in Manchester (now Sununu Youth Services Center) was renamed for former Gov. John Sununu, father of the current governor.
The Manchester facility is a target of criminal investigation and a lawsuit in which more than 200 men and women allege that they were sexually abused by more than 150 staffers between 1963 and 2018. The sheer number of assaulted victims at the Manchester facility point to a systemic problem and a lack of oversight of the facility staff.
Some personal injury attorneys representing cases involving sexually abused victims indicate that as children, many boys and girls were gang-raped by counselors, severely beaten while being raped, and forced to participate in “fight clubs” to compete for food.
The counselors had set up the fight clubs and locked some children in solitary confinement for weeks or months.
Each of the charged former employees faces multiple counts of child sexual abuse and sexual assault. Local authorities expect more sexually abused survivors to come forward as the investigation proceeds further.
6 Charged in NH Youth Detention Center Sex Abuse Probe
AP News reports that six detention facility staffers were charged in the second such case in New Hampshire. All the six arrested on sexual molestation charges worked at the Youth Development Center Unit in Concorde.
The accused collectively sexually assaulted and abused eleven children in total in a decade.
Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Lima, Philadelphia
A Federal Judge in Philadelphia recently passed an order for shuttering the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Lima, Pennsylvania, after a lawsuit alleging sexual assault of teenagers at the hands of the facility staff was filed in a federal court.
How To Stop Sexual Abuse in Juvenile Detention Centers – What Are the Warning Signs?
Several tell-tale signs of sexual molestation could be apparent when communicating with your child while spending time in a juvenile detention center. Some of the significant signs to look out for are as follows:
- Reluctance or refusal to talk about their treatment at the facility
- Shame, guilt, self-doubt, or lack of self-confidence
- Fearfulness around certain facility staff members
- Bruises, rashes, or other signs of physical abuse on their body
- Sudden changes in behavior such as aggression, fear, or irritability
- Use of adult-like language or inclusion of sexual terms in conversations
- Mood swings, or behavior that resembles drug/alcohol intoxication
- Any other unusual behavior
A single warning sign listed above may not be a cause for alarm, but if you notice multiple signs and feel that something is out of place, then it’s probably time to contact law enforcement about possible sexual assault.
Are you convinced that your child is facing sexual assault at the hands of detention facility staff or other inmates? Families and sexual abuse survivors should immediately contact an experienced youth detention sexual abuse lawyer to seek justice and financial compensation for the crime.
What To Do If Your Child Is a Victim of Sexual Abuse in the Juvenile Detention Center or Youth Development Center?
The first step that you must take after noticing signs of sexual abuse is to get your child relocated to another correctional facility or approach a court of law with a bail application explaining the reasons and circumstances behind the request.
You must also try to arrange an appointment for your kid with a trained and qualified psychiatrist or counselor who has experience in detention facility abuse cases. Finally, try to boost the child’s morale and offer as much support to them during your conversations or meetings.
You must also know that any parent who finds their child in such a scenario can lose their nerve, and anxiety is quite common among such patients. So, in addition to looking after your child’s interests, you will also need to take care of yourself and remain patient and persistent in your pursuit of justice.
How a Youth Detention Center Sexual Abuse Lawyer Can Help
A qualified and experienced youth detention sexual abuse lawyer can help with legal matters. They will first explain your child’s rights as an inmate and initiate legal proceedings against the detention facility staff and counselors responsible for the sexual abuse or sexual assault.
A youth detention sexual abuse lawyer will also assist you in filing a lawsuit for compensation and explain to you other legal options you may have at your disposal.
They will act on your behalf as your legal representatives in your communications with other law enforcement agencies and courts of law and help you get your child proper care to deal with the sex abuse.
A Child Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help Resolve Your Personal Injury Case
For years, the personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC have been helping survivors and other victims of physical abuse and sexual molestation stop the crime and hold the juvenile Justice system accountable.
Were you victimized by staff members, counselors, adults, or other children? Our law firm can help initiate an investigation to prove your allegations and hold the accused financially accountable.
We accept all personal injury cases through a contingency fee agreement, meaning no upfront fees are required. We are paid for our legal services only after successfully resolving your case through a jury trial award or negotiated settlement.
Call our law office at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today.
References:
- Ending sexual assault in youth detention centers
- Lawsuit: Staff at Lima juvenile facility held ‘private parties’ where young people were sexually abused
- Delaware County Juvenile Correctional Facility Lawsuit: Update
- City Agrees to Extend Federal Oversight of Youth Lockup After Grim Reports Persist
- 6 charged in NH youth detention center sex abuse probe
