A man who experienced one of the most under-reported crimes in America will speak in Poplar Bluff about childhood sexual abuse and his belief that anyone can move from victim to victory.
Greg Holtmeyer, a Missouri educator and advocate, will be the keynote speaker for the 15th Annual Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Conference. The free daylong educational event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 31, with a registration deadline of Oct. 20.
"From Mr. Holtmeyer, we're going to see an issue that many people aren't aware of," said Mary Ann Allen, an organizer of the event and executive director of Haven House, a domestic violence shelter. "Many boys are sexually abused, as well as girls. ... We need to be aware that this is truly an issue. We want to be open minded about that and helpful to survivors."
By telling his story, Holtmeyer wants to show that with the right help, support and attitude, anyone can overcome whatever life puts in front of them.
He will look at the effects, forms of treatment, resources for help, prevalence of abuse, who the abusers are and current events regarding the topic.
"Each year, we pick topics that we feel would be of interest and helpful to folks and really understanding," said Allen.
The conference is held annually in October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month. It is combined with information concerning child abuse, because the two often go hand in hand, Allen said.
This year's conference is also designed to highlight the message, "It's never crystal clear."
"People tend to say, 'Why doesn't she just leave? Why do people do those things? Why do they have these problems in life?'" Allen said. "There are always circumstances in people's lives that we don't know about, and that we sometimes don't understand if we haven't experienced them."
Poplar Bluff Police Officer Jeff Hovis will also speak about how law enforcement handles situations of domestic violence and emotionally charged situations.
"People feel like there should be an immediate answer to how things are investigated, and what should happen next in the criminal justice system," Allen said. "Like all crimes, it is not easy to investigate and it certainly is not easy to prosecute."
It can be difficult for victims of family violence to be witnesses against another family member, Allen said.
"For many battered women trying to escape an abusive relationship, it does boil down to what will be the least harmful decision that I make for myself and my children," Allen said. "We like to think it's the best, but sometimes we have to help women go through all of her options to be the least likely to cause further harm to them."
University of Missouri educator Linda Hellemann will also discuss how trauma impacts children and resources that can help lessen those effects.
"How people respond to adverse events in their childhood or childhood trauma varies by the person's resilience, the person's support system, all kinds of factors," she said. "Just because one person may soldier through something traumatic in their past, others aren't able to do that."
Those in the helping field need to understand how to assess and help victims of childhood trauma maneuver through the events of their past, Allen said.
The conference will be held at First United Methodist Church. Lunch will be provided.
Contact the Butler County Community Resource Council to register, at 573-776-7830 or email judy.cox@thecrc.org.
This conference is organized by Haven House, The Butler County CRC, Southeast Missouri Behavioral Health, the University of Missouri School of Social Work and SSM Health.