The Auburn Avenue Research Library, in collaboration with the Baton Foundation Inc. and Comfort In The Storm, LLC, will present a workshop about childhood sexual abuse in the Black family.

Confronted with the realization that their own child had been sexually abused, Kathy and Richard Butler took action. The Butlers will engage the audience in a candid discussion about the signs they missed, how they handled their child’s disclosure, and their family’s healing journey.

During the workshop, the Butlers will expose the secrecy and the stigma associated with child sexual abuse. Among the topics they will cover are: boundaries and body autonomy; grooming–identifying potential predatory behaviors and patterns of abuse; signs of abuse–the potential red flags parents and caregivers often overlook; and real-time statistics—data that will help you answer the question, “Is my child vulnerable to being sexually abused?”

About the Butlers
Kathy Butler holds a BS degree in communications and received her certificate of completion in Child Advocacy Studies Training from Athens State University. Mrs. Butler is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Fulton County CASA, where she serves youth in foster care with the GA Department of Children and Family Services. Among the professional courses she has completed are: Victim/Survivor-Centered Approaches when Working with CSEC Youth; Understanding the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), Mandated Reporting of Child Abuse in Georgia, and Start the Conversation Now! — An Adult’s Guide to Speaking to Children about Sexual Abuse Prevention with Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. Mrs. Butler also completed the CHRIS 180 Trauma Stars modules and she is a Darkness to Light Facilitator. Kathy has conducted corporate trainings for over twenty years and is now coupling her professional speaking experience with her passion to educate others about child sex abuse awareness and prevention.

Richard Butler served in the US Army National Guard for seventeen years during which time he was responsible for overseeing communications and readiness training for over 2,500 soldiers. Mr. Butler received an AA degree from Columbia College and is a certified para-educator. He also worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District as a senior recreation director. In that position, he served many of the district’s most at-risk students and their parents. Mr. Butler has been a licensed minister for over fifteen years, and has taught Sunday School for more than ten years. He currently serves as a Fulton County Court Appointed Special Advocate, and is a trainer for CASA’s facilitator cadre. Richard continues to find ways to positively impact the lives of young people.

About Comfort In The Storm, LLC
Comfort In The Storm, LLC is an Atlanta-based organization that provides child sex abuse prevention and awareness training for parents, caregivers, youth-serving organizations, and others who work with children in any capacity. As certified child advocates and parents of a child sex abuse survivor, founders Kathy and Richard Butler have a unique perspective that allows them to share valuable information that can potentially help other parents keep their children safe from the trauma of child sex abuse.

Event Start Date: {{EventDetails.EventDateStr}} {{EventDetails.StartTimeDateStr}}

Event End Date: {{EventDetails.EventEndDateStr}} {{ EventDetails.EndTimeDateStr}}