Philip Martin’s recent “On Film” column, which dealt with child-abuse allegations involving director Woody Allen, bore the sub-headline: “Many have formed opinions of filmmaker Allen. But does it matter in the grand scheme of things?”

That phrase-“does it matter”- may have been unintentional, but it subtly reinforces the idea that the abuse of children isn’t really a relevant issue and that those who prey on young victims needn’t worry about the consequences of their actions.

But in our work with Arkansas Children’s Advocacy Centers-safe havens where children can tell their stories about sexual abuse to trained forensic interviewers-we see that it matters.

In our collaboration with the more than 700 mental health professionals we have trained across the state to counsel children exposed to abuse, we see that it matters.

In our own clinical work with children and adult survivors who struggle with depression, anxiety and other mental health problems, we see that it matters.

In our research programs investigating the long-term effects of child trauma on the brain’s processing of threat stimuli and emotion regulation, we see that it matters.

When we understand that Arkansas’ rate of sexual abuse is two times that of the national average, we hope everyone in our state sees that it matters.

It is important we take a stand and communicate to all children that it does matter what happens to them, whether it’s in their own home, at school, on the playground, or in church. It takes tremendous courage for a child to believe in a world that will protect them if they step forward to reveal the biggest secret they’ve ever known.

Children tell us they were afraid because the offender threatened to hurt them or someone else in their family, including a younger brother or sister. Children tell us they were worried that no one would believe them, and the abuse would become worse. Children tell us they didn’t know the abuse was wrong. Children tell us they didn’t want to cause trouble, and thought if they just went along with it, it would eventually stop.

Children who find the courage to tell someone of their abuse face questions about what happened and why.They are frequently accused of siding with one parent against another. If their stories are credible enough to pass the legal litmus test, they face the stress of additional testimony and the possibility that once on the witness stand, their account of what happened won’t be convincing enough to result in a successful prosecution.

Faced with these options, it’s not surprising that most children don’t tell anyone about their abuse until they’re adults. And that’s when we see it still matters.

Children exposed to abuse are likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder at rates similar to those experienced by soldiers who have served in combat. Children exposed to abuse are more likely to have problems trusting others, struggle academically, engage in risky behaviors that threaten their safety and health, and to suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

What matters is that children feel safe to talk about bad things happening to them. What matters is that parents or other caregivers have knowledge about the effects of abuse and seek out mental health professionals who can assess and provide effective therapy for their children.

What matters is that communities guard our precious children from predators of all types. When the alleged perpetrator is someone famous, like Woody Allen, our reaction is complicated by a public perception, accurate or inaccurate, so that any attempt to discern who this person really is and whether he (or she) is capable of such horrendous acts misses the point.

The truth is, we don’t know. What is important is whether we are protecting the welfare of children across the globe and in our own backyard.

When faced with a child whose disclosure of abuse will change their life, we need to strongly reply to them, “What you’ve done is very brave, and we will do everything in our power to be sure you aren’t hurt again. What has happened to you does matter.” -

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Teresa L. Kramer, Ph.D., is professor and chief psychologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Psychiatric Research Institute, and director of the ARBEST program.

Editorial, Pages 11 on 02/24/2014