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If something horrible happened to you, would you be able to talk about it — on national radio and in auditoriums full of people?

What if what happened was something scary and secret?

And you were only five years old when it started...

For Stephanie L. Jones, talking about the sexual abuse that she endured for seven years — from age five to twelve — is something that has become her mission in life.

This super-sensitive subject is her passion and her purpose in life — so that she can help other victims — and spare other little girls and boys from experiencing the trauma that she has endured.

This mission takes the form of her book, The Enemy Between My Legs. In it, she shares her gripping story of how her mother took in boarders, strangers, who abused her body. The book's striking brown cover says, "I promised not to tell a soul."

Apparently, countless other young women have made that same promise to their abusers, Stephanie says. She recently spoke on this subject at a Detroit high school, she explains, and dozens of girls burst into tears, fled the auditorium, and approached her to share their own stories of molestation.

"Research shows that one in every three females and one in every five males is the victim of some kind of sexual abuse," Stephanie says while presenting an hour-long workshop amidst the beautiful lakeside scenery of historic Idlewild, Michigan. "Most sexual abuse occurs at the hands of family members. There's a lot of shame and denial. And the abuse can cause girls and boys to become promiscuous later in life because their bodies still want the stimulation, even after the abuse stops."

The problem, says Stephanie, who has been a guest on Michael Baisden's national radio show, is that many teens do not make the connection between their abuse and their promiscuity — until they find themselves in a serious relationship. Suddenly, she says, the past violation of their emotional, physical and spiritual selves can make it difficult or impossible to share deep intimacy in a committed relationship or marriage.

Another problem, she says, is that many victims repeat their behavior by sexually abusing other children and teens in their own families.

Saving people from the fear and violation and damage that results from sexual abuse, Stephanie says, keeps her talking and writing about this subject for schools, churches, conferences, companies and the media.

Her boundless courage, honesty and comfort in talking about such delicate matters captivates her audiences, many times with her devoted husband Robert at her side.

"I know what it feels like to suffer in silence," she writes on her website, www.stephanieljones.com. "I want to help the brokenhearted and those broken in spirit, not just the victims, but the offender and the entire family. Everyone is affected when a child is molested by another family member."

The Detroit native, who left corporate America to embark on her quest to help victims of sexual abuse, has received the Kiwanis International Lee Harden Take Time to Care Award.

At the heart of her mission is to educate parents about the warning signs of sexual abuse — and the dangers lurking within one's own family — to protect girls and boys.

By using her own tragedy to educate and protect others, Stephanie L. Jones is providing a meaningful and healing service to the world. Hearing her speak about the graphic details of sexual abuse is chilling. But her openness and genuine concern for helping others is awe-inspiring. She is an excellent example of a Metro Detroiter who's transforming tragedy into triumph, to make the world a better place.

The_Bliss_Report's Blog

WOMAN SPEAKS ON SEXUAL ABUSE TO HELP VICTIMS AND SAVE GIRLS AND BOYS FROM PREDATORS

The_Bliss_Report

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