Washington City leaders tour children’s justice center, see how staff make healing kids ‘their mission’

ST. GEORGE — The stats are unsettling, said Washington County Children’s Justice Center Director Kristy Pike.

Washington City Council members and city staff meet with Washington County Children’s Justice Center representatives during a work meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2023 in St. George, Utah | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

Nationally, 90% of abused children are mistreated by someone they know, and 60% of the time it’s by a relative. Sadly, only one in 10 children will report the abuse to authorities.

In Washington County, those children are receiving some of the best support services in the state, Pike said during a recent work meeting with Washington City Council members and the city staff, attorney and police chief.

Mayor Kress Staheli invited St. George News to participate in the city’s bi-weekly work meeting, which usually consists of staff reports about roads under repair, water line breaks or city land issues. For this work meeting, Staheli said he wanted the civic leadership of Washington City to meet those who work unseen while bettering their community.

The staff at the Children’s Justice Center interview children, perform medical checks, provide counseling and mental health services, assist with protective orders and create child safety plans when needed.

“We screen every child for trauma and (thoughts of) suicide,” Pike said. “Traumatic stress turns into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder if it’s not treated. Before they leave this building, we teach them a skill that will help them with their anxiety.”

Primary Children’s Hospital staff train pediatric nurses are in child trauma, abuse detection and healing methods. Their work is peer-reviewed by PCH hospital staff to ensure each child is receiving proper care.

Washington City Council members Kurt Ivie and Kim Casperson listen to a presentation at the Washington County Children’s Justice Center during a work meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2023, in St. George, Utah | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

A tour of the room where medical examinations are conducted revealed a scene much like many pediatric doctors’ offices. There are soft colors and inspiring messages on the walls, yet the camera lying on the examination table left those in attendance to wonder about the job.

“People tell our nurse practitioner all the time, ‘I could never do that,’” Pike said. “She tells them, ‘That’s why I do it.’”

State social workers or from law enforcement officers directly refer children to the justice center. They usually are who are usually tipped off by teachers, physicians and sometimes a child’s friend who reports the abuse.

Pike said many parents she has helped through the healing process make the statement, “They never knew … Kids can be good actors and it is really important for parents to know what is going on in their lives,” she said. “Pay attention to what they are doing on social media.”

The question was posed about whether there are statistics about the conviction rate for those accused of crimes against children. Many times, the cases never see a judge, Pike said.

“Most cases of child abuse will never be prosecuted, it is very rare when one is,” she said. “Usually there is not enough evidence. We still provide as much support for those families as we possibly can.”

The Washington County Children’s Justice Center, St. George, Utah, Sept. 3, 2019 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

Most perpetrators don’t commit just one crime, Washington City Police Chief Jason Williams said. So by helping the abused children, the justice center creates a document trail that can help officers in future cases.

“We build a history on the individual and present it as a broader case for repeat offenders,” he told the council.

Last year, the children’s justice center provided help in Washington County to 420 primary victims, conducted 283 forensic interviews, 142 medical exams, completed 154 traumatic-stress/suicide risk screenings and provided 1,214 therapy sessions. The most common allegation was child sexual abuse/assault and 114 of the primary victims were under the age of 7, Pike said.

“I know it’s heavy, and it’s heavy for the kids too,” she said. “We do everything that we can to give them as much power over how and when they tell their story as possible.”

File photo shows Kristy Pike during a candidate debate for House District 74 at the Dixie Convention Center, St. George, Utah, May 19, 2022 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

There was some positive news, Pike said. The justice center experiences a very low turnover rate despite the nature of the work environment. The employees make it “their mission” to help the children who do come forward to report abuse.

“Many of the people who choose this work do so because it helps bring purpose to what may have happened to them in the past,” she said. “Not everyone of course, but there are some.”

The Washington County Children’s Justice Center is a nonprofit organization started in 1997 to provide children a safe space to be interviewed by law enforcement. They have since grown to provide many more services, such as medical and counseling, to local youth and their families during times of crisis.

On April 14, Swig will donate 25% of all proceeds for the day to the CJC. For more information on future fundraisers and children’s services, visit their website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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