ST. GEORGE — As part of the ongoing Diversity Week at Dixie State University, community members and students gathered Tuesday evening to hear a message of hope and healing from Jan Broberg, a professional actress, arts advocate and survivor of childhood sexual assault.

Broberg, a Southern Utah resident of more than 15 years, told the audience an abbreviated account of how she and her family were the targets of three years of grooming by a trusted family friend, Robert Berchtold, culminating in Broberg’s abduction at age 12.

While Berchtold was apprehended and Broberg returned safely, Berchtold escaped justice and ultimately kidnapped Broberg again just two years later. As a result of the sexual, mental and emotional abuse she suffered, Broberg said she retreated into herself for quite some time before finally reconciling with her past.

“One of the main reasons that I survived and that I have thrived is because there came a point where I thought, ‘OK, do I want to be the person in the room with the saddest story?’” Broberg said. “Because I could probably beat a lot of people’s stories. Or, did I want to be the person in the room that was the happiest? I didn’t know how to do that, but I knew that’s what I wanted.”

The first step is finding someone with whom to share your story, Broberg said. Whether it’s a trusted parent, close friend or licensed therapist, the act of opening up and expressing the trauma in words can help people process their experiences.

Trusted confidantes and supporters can become healers, mostly through the act of thoughtful listening, but also through affirmation and encouragement, she said. 

“Make sure that you believe them and allow them to talk,” she said. “Don’t try to solve their problem. You’re not a counselor, you’re their friend, their sister or brother. You’re there to be a vessel so they can take their trauma and tell somebody that will believe them.”

Next, Broberg encouraged survivors to find something they’re passionate about. For her, acting and writing became outlets for her frustration and pain.

As for the last step, Broberg said:

Learn to live in the 90% of your life. What if I tried to always step into the 90%, which is the rest of my life – what I’m doing, how I’m progressing and what I’m making of myself and my life – instead of the 10%, which is this terrible experience that happened to me. Sometimes we need our 10% because we learn from those things. Or we need to help someone else. Or we need to be empathetic or understanding, and that gives us that ability. You have to commit that you actually want to be the happiest person or the healthiest person in the room, and then you have to go out and find your healers.

Part of Broberg’s message was to relate the importance of forgiveness and to give warning signs of manipulation, grooming and brainwashing. Grooming is a term that generally refers to the process of a pedophile preparing a child for a meeting, but Broberg applied it generally to refer to the way even her parents and other adults were misled or manipulated by her abuser.

After Broberg finished her remarks, she answered questions from the audience and invited those in attendance to seek help for themselves or their loved ones if they know anyone that has experienced trauma as a child or in adulthood.

The evening forum was organized by the Multicultural Inclusion Student Association, a student organization dedicated to representing and empowering underrepresented communities, and cosponsored by the Women’s Resource Center, a women’s advocacy group on campus.

“It was great to hear her (Broberg’s) experience and to see such a positive result in the end,” said Dru Bottoms, director of the women’s center. “I think that’s wonderful because we want to empower students and women to overcome things that are hard. I also really enjoyed her talking about boundaries – when you see something that you know is not right, you stand up and say something.”

For any students in need of counseling or medical services, Bottoms said they should visit the Booth Wellness Center and for community members to seek help with the DOVE Center if they or a loved one have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault.

Near the end of the gathering, Broberg announced her plans to launch a charitable foundation this summer, which will establish an online community to support children and families affected by grooming, sexual abuse, assault and childhood trauma. 

The foundation will gather survivors’ stories and raise funds to ease the financial burden of counseling and recovery services, Broberg said.

Diversity Week continues through Friday, culminating in a Rainbow Rave dance held in the Innovation Plaza from 9 p.m. to midnight. 

When asked about the importance of Diversity Week, Kimberly Querales, who serves as president of the Multicultural Inclusion Student Association, said it is all about educating students and community members and building a community of trust and respect.

“Today we got to hear Jan Broberg’s story, which really resonates with a lot of women who have experienced sexual assault and grooming,” Querales said. “We want to bring awareness to these situations, and we want to let people know – particularly women in our community – that they’re not alone. That their voices and stories are being heard. They’re seen, and they have a place to come to where they are safe.”

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