Prevail, Inc.

EMMA (11) & JENNA (8)

The giggles that are so profound in little girls couldn’t have been brighter in any other two girls. Emma (age 11) and Jenna (age 8) were bright, sweet, and self-proclaimed comedians. Everyone who met them said that they had that undeniable bound of sisters. Emma was a straight A student and a raising soccer star. On the other hand, Jenna was artistic and the social butterfly in the neighborhood. Emma said, “She has to have more friends than Taylor Swift on Facebook!” Anyone meeting them would have said that they were just normal girls…

Yet Emma kept a very deep dark secret. For the past three years, her father had been visiting her room at least once a week. At first, it was just to tuck her in and kiss her good night. Then it was to rub her back and tickle her. The, it became much more. Emma could not tell. At first, she did not quite understand what was happening, but she was very scared of what would happen if she told. Later, her dad told her if that if she told then he would have to do it to Jenna and that her mom would think she was a bad girl. Emma wanted to be anything besides a “bad girl.” She also remembered that her mom had always said, “Emma, Jenna needs you and you have to look out for her.” Emma decided it was her job to protect Jenna from this stuff. What Emma did not know was that no matter what she did, it had not stopped her father from sexually assaulting Jenna.

Both girls dutifully kept their secrets. It was not until Jenna heard a presentation at school about body safety that she realized that Daddy’s goodnight rituals were not normal. She spent the whole day thinking about it and finally decided to tell her teacher. She said, “I don’t think Daddies are supposed to love their daughters like that.”

Both Emma and Jenna had no idea what happened to each other. They first met Prevail at their interview at a local Child Advocacy Center. Their dad was arrested and bonded out. In attempts to keep them safe, their mother got a protective order. It was granted. Both girls started seeing a child advocate at Prevail. They asked some tough questions such as, “Why me?” and “I thought he loved me, but why would he do this?” Emma also felt that no one else understood what was happening to her. After lots of education and support, Emma and Jenna agreed to join the children’s sexual assault group. Their mom decided to join the parenting group at the same time. After ten weeks, everyone reported feeling better. There were very few bad dreams, an understanding that it was not their fault, and a feeling that they were SURVIVORS. For the first time, no one was keeping secrets about sexual hurts.

Today, Emma and Jenna are normal girls. No one would ever know that they had been terrorized for years. Their mother has commented that “Prevail saved their lives.” Both Emma and Jenna said that “Prevail helped me find myself again and that Prevail has made their life the way it is today.” We are all waiting for trial…two years later.