Protecting young people means opposing ballot measures

From an early age, Luz* was sexually abused by a stepparent. Ultimately, they told a school counselor. That disclosure triggered a law enforcement response, but Luz’s mother asked them to lie about the abuse because the family depended on the stepparent’s income. Luz felt compelled to comply. The abuse continued, and the trauma effects multiplied. When Luz asked their mother for counseling, their mom refused. Luz lived with the emotional, physical and behavioral health impacts, including suicide attempts, until well into adulthood, when they were finally able to seek therapy on their own.

A trusted adult at school was the first person to help Luz. What happened after that disclosure, and who controlled what came next, is exactly what’s at stake when we vote on Initiative 001. Whether young people have the right to their own bodily autonomy is also a central question we used in evaluating Initiative 638. We oppose both.

We see survivors like Luz every day at KCSARC. About half of the 5,000 clients we serve each year are children and youth, many of whom seek evidence-based therapy to help them heal. We make every effort to work with the young person to determine whether a non-offending parent/caregiver can be involved in supporting them as they recover.

Unfortunately, including a parent isn’t always possible or safe. Sometimes a parent or caregiver can’t be involved because they are the offender, or a non-believing parent who blames the young person. In that case, we encourage that young person to consider who else in their immediate circle could lend support.

While most parents are loving and supportive, that’s not the case for all kids. About 90% of abused children and youth know and trust the person who assaulted them; the younger the child, the more likely that person is a parent or caregiver. Regardless of the reason, access to confidential mental health care is vital, and can help prevent years of serious mental, behavioral and physical health impacts.

Getting kids help most often starts with a disclosure. Young people are told to seek out a trusted adult. That can be a parent, but often it’s a teacher, counselor or school nurse. But if kids know that trusted adult must notify a parent if they’re not ready to bring them in, fewer children will disclose.

While girls are abused at higher rates than boys, male survivors, whose experiences are frequently minimized, may be even more reluctant to seek help if it’s not confidential. For LGBTQ+ youth, the stakes are raised: coming forward about abuse means they could be outed against their will to unsupportive parents, putting them at risk of violence or homelessness.

Young people may only seek help if they believe the adults around them will respect their bodies and their voices. That is why we also oppose Initiative 638. It would require every child who wants to play on a girls’ team to get a provider-signed verification of sex, through a reproductive anatomy exam, genetic testing or hormone testing. Nothing similar is required to play on boys’ teams.

We teach children and caregivers that their bodies are their own and that no one may examine them without a real purpose. Sports physicals focus on whether a young person can safely handle the demands of exercise and sport; they don’t include verifying sex.  I-638 would teach children to submit to a medically unnecessary exam, undermining the lessons on consent and bodily autonomy we have spent years reinforcing.

Whether it’s a disclosure to a school counselor or a sports physical, children are learning whether adults can be trusted with their bodies and their stories. We urge voters to reject both I-001 and I-638.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.