Child Victim Advocacy
Advocates from CONTACT Rape Crisis Center support caregivers & children. Those who have experienced sexual violence often don’t know what to expect when they go to the hospital or to the police to report the crime. Advocates can help by providing support, knowledge, and access to resources. Our service area includes Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, and Wayne Counties. CONTACT staff collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorney’s offices, victim assistance programs, and Legal Aid of West Virginia.
Our specialized Child Advocates meet with families and children at the Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) and help guide them through the process of healing.
More resources and information for children and parents are available on our resources page: Resources.
Suspect something is wrong and not sure what to do? Call us any time of the day or night.
Call Toll-Free
Cabell, Lincoln, Mason & Wayne Counties
Logan & Mingo Counties
An Advocate Will:
- Believe you and help protect your rights
- Provide support and assistance to you and your family and friends throughout the process
- Facilitate communication between you, the courts, and/or the police
- Assist you in filing the necessary paperwork to obtain orders of protection (PSO or DVP)
- Personal Safety Order when the offender is an acquaintance or stranger
- Domestic Violence Protective Order when the offender is an intimate partner, family or household member
- Accompany you to court and to visits with the police and your prosecutor
- Help you write your Victim Impact Statement
- Help you interact with the West Virginia Parole Board
- Help you access programs for victims of crime in the State of West Virginia, such as Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) and the West Virginia Crime Victim Compensation Fund.
- Link you to other services such as housing, civil attorneys, counseling, transportation, and domestic violence agencies.
Child Advocacy Centers
Cabell, Mason, and Wayne Counties
Hoops Family Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center
1340 Hal Greer Blvd.
Huntington, WV 25701
304-526-2349
https://hoopschildrens.org/facilities-programs/child-advocacy-center/
Lincoln County
Cornerstone CAC
331 State St., Rm 300
Madison, WV 25130
304-369-5283
Logan & Mingo Counties
Logan & Mason County CAC
300 Main St./PO Box 308
Logan, WV 25601
304-792-6261
https://loganmingochildadvocacycenters.com/
For information on CACs statewide, visit https://wvcan.org/ .
Mandatory Reporting
All CONTACT employees are mandatory reporters and will report any suspected abuse of children to the proper authorities.
When you have “reasonable cause to suspect that a child is neglected or abused, including sexual abuse or sexual assault, (or is at risk of) or observes the child being subjected to conditions that are likely to result in abuse or neglect, you must report it to DHHR.
The report must be made immediately and not more than 24 hours after suspecting abuse and or neglect.
Every mandatory reporter must make a report to DHHR even if they report internally, like to a boss, and even if someone else says not to.
Every person who works or volunteers with children in WV is a mandatory reporter.
If the child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Child Sexual Abuse
All sexual activity between an adult and a child, no matter if deception is involved, or if the child understands the sexual nature of the activity is abuse.
Child who have been abused may suffer from urinary tract infections, nightmares, bed-wetting, substance use, delinquency, inappropriate sexual behavior, or self-mutilation.
Child abuse can take many forms including child-on-child crimes, sending a child explicit images, taking intimate photos of a child, an adult exposing their genitals to a child, and more.
Most children are abused by people they know. Help protect your children by teaching them “body safety” strategies and the correct names of private parts.
Child Predators
Grooming Behaviors
Child predators are crafty and know what they are doing. Many frequent chat rooms on the “dark web” where predators share strategies with one another. Stranger danger is a myth – most predators will befriend you and/or your children.
Abuse can happen to any child, but some children are more at-risk. A child faces a higher risk of being targeted when they have low self-esteem, unmonitored access to technology, disabilities, loneliness, a stressful home life, or aren’t accepted by their families, such as LGBTQ youths.
Child predators manipulate people. They use blame and shame to keep children quiet. They take advantage of children’s trust and love. They may make a child fear retaliation or the loss of important relationships, i.e. “If you tell, then the police will take you away and you’ll never see your mom again.”
Be wary of any adult who tries to get your child alone. Be wary of any adult who shows too much interest in your child. Listen to your gut – don’t worry about being “polite” – if something feels wrong, stop it.
Dedicated Child Advocates:
While all of our advocates can work with children, we have two specialized child advocates available for advice and support.
Dede biography & photo
Ashley biography & photo