Here’s what to know:

• Your email will go to [email protected], where a specially trained staff member will read and respond.
• Confidentiality matters. Our response team is trained to protect your identity and your story.
• We will not ask you to share your story. We believe every survivor’s experiences should be protected and honored. Our goal is simply to connect you to the right resources that can help.
• You may receive an email asking for a few more details, just enough to make sure we point you in the right direction.

Helpful things to include in your email:

• Whether you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse (CSA)
• Whether the services are for an adult
• Whether you identify as male or female (some programs serve specific populations)

Once we receive your information, we’ll respond with:

• Contact information for trusted organizations
• Details about services and programs that can support your healing

We know this step can feel overwhelming. You are not alone. When you’re ready, we’re here.

Prevention: How Do We Protect Children?

At The Mustard Seed Thrift on Mission, we believe every child deserves to grow up safe, seen, and protected. Their worth is not defined by the world. It is God given and sacred. Preventing childhood sexual abuse is not just part of our mission. It is part of our calling.

Abuse often happens in places that should be safe: homes, churches, schools, and communities. That is why prevention begins with awareness, education, and the courage to speak up. We believe in creating environments where children are protected, adults are equipped, and silence no longer has the final word.

Because this kind of abuse often leaves no bruises, and many survivors lack physical proof, it can be difficult for others to understand or believe what has happened. This makes it all the more important that caregivers and communities respond with deep compassion and clarity when a child reaches out for help.

Defining Sexual Abuse

We use the following definition from Shelter from the Storm: Hope for Survivors of Sexual Abuse:

“Sexual abuse is any sexual activity, verbal, visual, or physical engaged in without the consent, which may be emotionally or physically harmful and which exploits a person in order to meet another person’s sexual or emotional needs. The person does not consent if he or she cannot reasonably choose to consent or refuse because of age, circumstance, level of understanding, and dependency or relationship to the offender.”
(Kubetin and Mallory)

Abuse is not always obvious. It can be hidden in secrecy, grooming, or emotional manipulation. It is not just about physical acts. It is about harm, betrayal of trust, and the misuse of power.

What Prevention Looks Like

At The Mustard Seed, we believe prevention is not a one-time conversation. It is an ongoing commitment to creating a culture of safety, awareness, and protection. Here is what that commitment looks like in practical terms:

Equipping parents and caregivers to talk openly with children and teens

Many survivors say they did not speak up because they were never told they could. Prevention begins with open, age-appropriate conversations about body safety, boundaries, and consent. Children need to know that they can ask questions, say no, and come to a trusted adult when something feels wrong. Parents and caregivers must be given tools and confidence to lead these conversations in ways that are clear, calm, and free of shame
(“Child Sexual Abuse Prevention”).

Recognizing the signs of grooming or inappropriate behavior

Abuse rarely begins with physical contact. It often starts with grooming, which involves subtle behaviors intended to gain a child’s trust and gradually break down their boundaries. Adults must be trained to notice warning signs such as secrecy, favoritism, isolation, or a child’s sudden discomfort around a specific person. Recognizing these red flags early allows adults to step in before harm occurs.

Responding with compassion and clarity when someone discloses abuse

When a child or adult shares that something has happened to them, how we respond can either open the door to healing or reinforce fear and silence. It is critical to respond calmly, believe them without question, and take appropriate steps to ensure their safety.

This is especially important when the child’s abuser appears to be trustworthy or respected. Many survivors speak up with no visible evidence, and often the person causing harm has built trust within the family or community. That is why our first response matters so deeply. Even if it is difficult to believe, the child needs to be heard and affirmed.

Responses such as “I’m so sorry this happened to you” and “You did the right thing by telling me” are powerful starting points. From there, reporting to the appropriate authorities and connecting survivors to support must follow.

Creating environments at home, at school, and in churches that prioritize safety and accountability

Prevention is not only about individuals. It is about systems. Schools, churches, and community spaces must have clear safety policies, background checks, accountability structures, and ongoing training. Children and adults alike should know how to report concerns without fear of retaliation. Safe environments are not accidental. They are built with intention, vigilance, and compassion.

Works Cited

“Child Sexual Abuse Prevention.” Darkness to Light, www.d2l.org. 2025.

Kubetin, Cynthia, and James Mallory. Shelter from the Storm. Trees of Hope, 2021.