Nothing is more important than protecting Florida’s innocent children, and Governor Rick Scott has taken an important step by approving a specialty license plate to benefit the efforts of Lauren’s Kids. Each and every day we put all our energies into preventing sexual abuse of children and helping survivors heal. Through the sale of these license plates, we will be able to do so much more to raise awareness and educate Floridians about the support network, which lets them know it’s not their fault and it’s okay to tell.

I think we can agree, the Miami HEAT are champions on and off the court. As a Miami native, I am so proud of my team and continue to be so very grateful for their support. GO HEAT!

Want your own awareness band? Donate here and we’ll send some your way: http://laurenskids.org/donate/

PS – I want to see a pic of you watching the finals games wearing YOUR teal awareness band or Walk t-shirt — upload a photo to our Facebook page or use the hashtag #LKHEAT on Instagram or Twitter! (and follow us @laurenskids!)

It’s been nearly one week since I walked the final mile of my 1500-mile Walk in My Shoes journey and was joined by Governor Rick Scott, Cabinet members, local and state leaders and hundreds of supporters from communities across Florida.

I cannot even begin to express the gratitude I am feeling to my friends, family, supporters and peers in the fight to end child abuse and help survivors to heal. Without you, I truly could not have made it from Key West to Tallahassee.

Take a look at the end of my journey, here:

Rally in Tally and Final Mile 2013; dedicated to Stump, of BACA

I can’t believe we’re already on week 4 already!! This week we journeyed through Melbourne, Deland, Daytona, Ocala, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs and St. Augustine…shout out to the advocacy centers, organizations, survivors and supporters who joined us this past week

We began week 4 with another visit from our Bikers Against Child Abuse friends while walking Melbourne. It’s good to know that even the “tough guys” are working hard to protect our children and I truly appreciate their support.

Since one of our legislative agendas this year is the expansion of my curriculum to grades 1 – 5, I felt really glad to have the opportunity to lead a training of my Safer, Smarter Kids curriculum at the Early Learning Coalition in Daytona Beach. Getting this curriculum out is so critical because it will help kids become the first line of defense against abuse (and psssst…if you didn’t know, the curriculum has shown to improve children’s knowledge of critical personal safety information by 77%!).

I think one of my favorite stops this week was in Ocala. This is my fourth year walking through this city, but the first time I’ve been able to interact with and ride the horses the town is famous for. The horses I met were not just any ordinary horses; they were used in equestrian therapy to help kids with issues stemming from abuse, disability or trauma. The kids bond with the horses and learn to trust them. While we were visiting with our friends in Ocala, we met a survivor who suffered at the hands of a family member. Through equestrian therapy, this little girl was able to find the strength to confront her abuser in court and get this individual sentenced to 20 years in prison. This is only one example of why work they are doing here in Ocala is so important.

While I am sad that there are only two weeks left of my 2013 Walk in My Shoes journey, I am so very excited to reach Jacksonville, Fernandina Beach, Perry, and the Panhandle next week. After that, it’s off to the Capital City for the final mile & Rally in Tally!

As they say in Gainesville…Later Gator!

Lauren

We are more than halfway through Walk in My Shoes already?!? It appears time flies when you’re walking hundreds of miles up and across Florida with a sea of incredible supporters! If you didn’t already know, April 1^st marked the beginning of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and we kicked off the week by walking through Sarasota, Bradenton, Clearwater, Tampa, St. Pete, and Orlando. We started the month off with a bold statement of awareness: a kick-off rally at Manatee Glens, which is an amazing center and a wonderful resource for the community.

During our time at Manatee Glens, I had the opportunity to connect with Ken Followell, the President of MaleSurvivor, and Tony Lanza, both of whom were featured prominently in Intimate Crimes, a 30 minute television special educating parents and caregivers about how to better protect their children from being victims of sexual abuse. I’m excited to note that Intimate Crimes has been picked up by TV stations throughout Florida and will be broadcasted on a station near you!

In Tampa, we participated in a parenting seminar with the incredible young women of Alpha House, and taught some key topics from the Safer, Smarter Kids curriculum to young mothers and mothers-to-be. These young mothers (as young as 12, 13, 14) are survivors of sexual abuse, trafficking, substance abuse…they come from all walks of life and now have so much strength and depth. As a survivor, I know how important it is for young children to have strong caretakers in their lives and I know these young women are going to be advocates for their children. It was a fun day, but more importantly it was an insightful day. I am continuously reminded how I am still learning and growing from these experiences.

I’m always jazzed for Orlando because it means we have reached the mid-way point of our Walk in My Shoes journey! This year, the city of Orlando turned Lake Eola blue for the month in honor of child abuse prevention (blue) and sexual assault awareness (teal!).  As if that wasn’t exiting enough, the Bikers Against Child Abuse America (BACA) also came out and met us at the Lake Eola press conference with DCF and State Attorney Jeff Ashton. They are an AWESOME group of folks who help abused kids feel safe by accompanying them to court dates and sit in their driveway all night, kind of like a personal body guard, so that the kids can sleep.

Looking into week four, I’m amazed at all the positive support and energy we’ve received throughout our journey….I couldn’t do it without you guys! Next stop, Deland, Daytona, Ocala, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs, and Saint Augustine. Stay tuned…!

Lauren

Two Walk weeks down, four more to go! This week we received so much support from amazing partner organizations and sexual assault treatment centers throughout Sarasota, Bradenton, Naples and Fort Myers. I had powerful, moving and inspiring conversations with survivors, experts and advocates, and met a bunch of really cute kids at our Safer, Smarter Kids curriculum event and Easter egg hunt on Saturday.

However, the most thought-provoking and intense experience of the week was certainly my visit to the Florida Civil Commitment Center (FCCC). Walking in as a survivor, I really wanted answers. I wanted to gain insight on how and why pedophiles offended against children in hopes of using that knowledge for prevention. And, to be completely honest, I was hoping to find some peace for myself and to better understand Waldy, my abuser, and why she felt compelled to shatter my innocence and manipulate the love I felt for her as a child.

I went into the FCCC and was greeted by Dr. Sawyer, the Facility Administrator, treatment staff and their legal team. I was given an overview of the facility and the types of offenders who are housed there – individuals who have served their prison term, but have been deemed too dangerous to return to society and have, under the Jimmy Ryce Act, been civilly committed to this center.

I was then given a tour and introduced to an offender who has undergone treatment at the FCCC and is in the process of getting clearance to be released, something only 40 other men have ever done. Unfortunately, I was not able to ask all the questions I wanted to about this man’s background. Instead, I was limited to questions about the FCCC’s treatment program.

In visiting the FCCC, I was struck yet again by the fact that the offenders in this center and pedophiles at large often don’t look creepy or dangerous. Most offenders contradict the image that many people have of sex offenders – they are well put-together people and come from all social classes and cultures.  90% of kids who have been abused suffered at the hands of someone they know, love and trust. Many of these offenders are moms, dads, coaches and neighbors.

Though I wasn’t able to ask questions about grooming or this offender’s past, I was surprised at how well the pedophile I spoke with was able to articulate his plan to stay away from kids and keep from offending again. When we interviewed an inmate at Wakulla Correctional for Intimate Crimes, our educational TV program, we asked the offender what would keep him from abusing another child. His answer? God would stop him.

The doctors at the FCCC said that pedophilia has no cure. There is no way to completely eradicate this horrific deviance. However, the offender I spoke with at FCCC gave clear answers as to what his “risk factors” are and how he can mediate them – he has a plan and a support system, and I think he truly is much less likely to offend again than the Wakulla inmate. Clearly, the man I spoke with is able to identify certain behaviors he couldn’t before.

My interview visit to the FCCC taught me that the work the center does is very important. Many people wish they could take these offenders and leave them on a deserted island away from the general population, but in reality, these individuals will serve their time and they will be released back into society. According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, approximately 150,000 adult sex offenders are currently in state and federal prisons throughout the United States. Between 10,000 and 20,000 are released to the community each year. It is crucial we have a plan.

Survivor Note: After visiting the FCCC, I began to have nightmares, flashbacks and panic attacks and have had to get in contact with my therapist from the road. Healing from child sex abuse is a life-long process and it’s one that you cannot go through alone. As I have been reminded since my visit to the FCCC, being a survivor of child sexual abuse sometimes means taking five steps forward and being pushed three steps back…that’s why it’s critical to have a good therapist and a good support system to stay healthy and live as a thriving survivor. Do you need someone to help you heal from abuse? Find your local sexual assault treatment center here: http://www.fcasv.org/information/find-your-local-center

It’s been a busy first week and a half on the road – we started Walk in My Shoes 2013 on March 19 at the SouthernMost Point of the United States in Key West, and have since made our way up through Homestead, Miami, Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Vero (click here to see pictures!). Today we crossed over to the West coast of Florida and are looking forward to spending the weekend walking through Ft. Myers and Naples.

At each stop we’ve made, I have had experiences that remind me why I walk 1,500 miles across the state annually. Day one, right after our incredible rally at Publix (Thank you Ken Phifer – we love, love, love your Publix! It was amazing to see EVERYONE wearing our Walk in My Shoes shirts!), I met a cheerleading coach who told me about one of her ninth graders that was raped on spring break this year. We walked and talked and were able to connect her with Christina’s Courage, the sexual assault treatment center that serves the Keys. I am proud to say that because of work Lauren’s Kids has done with the Florida Legislature, this girl, and all victims, receive counseling free of charge so they can get help in making the transition from victim to survivor.

I’ve had the honor of participating in roundtable discussions with survivors at sexual assault treatment centers, with law enforcement and child protection specialists at the Broward Sherriff’s Office and with education experts at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern. This week, I’ve been especially focused on the topics of the signs of abuse, what to do when a child discloses abuse and the abuse reporting process — click here to watch short, educational videos on each of these topics, featuring interviews with experts, survivors and a convicted pedophile.

We’ve also been blessed with the support of the Miami HEAT and Coach Spoelstra as they bring us into the national spotlight and help us bring awareness to our cause, and the Miami Dolphins, who have walked with us for the past few days and helped us assemble rape care kits for Kristi House, along with many of their wives (thank you Mrs. Philbin!). These guys are great athletes, but they have even greater hearts.

The Walk is always physically and emotionally challenging for me, especially when we’re in my hometown of Miami/Aventura, walking with my sexual assault treatment center (the Nancy J. Cotterman Center, formally known as the Broward County Sexual Assault Treatment Center). I remember the six years of abuse, manipulation, shame, silence and fear. I also remember the hopelessness – the feeling that this was my reality and it was never going to change – and with each step I take, I am walking away from that dark, abusive reality of the past, and into one I that have created for myself. A much brighter one where I am my own person: an advocate, an educator and a thriving survivor who works to protect kids.

This is why we walk.

Lauren

“Today’s Badass Chick is Lauren Book, founder of Lauren’s Kids. This organization works to educate children about sexual abuse, in hopes that education equals prevention. Lauren Book was sexually abused by her nanny when she was growing up, and now she is a teacher, author and activist working hard to prevent this from happening to other children. She holds fundraisers and develops curriculum that educates children in schools. She also has received over 17 awards for her contributions. Kudos to Lauren for turning a terrible thing into a positive movement. Lauren Book is my Badass Chick of the Day! You can learn more about Lauren’s Kids here.”