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Members of IU McKinney’s Family Law Society held their inaugural Teal Tie fundraising dinner to promote awareness of sexual abuse on March 28 in the atrium at Inlow Hall. The color teal is the official color of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is marked each April in the United States.

In the photo from left are IU McKinney students Latoya Highsaw, Joane Theodule, Dean Andrew Klein, Natasha Nsamba, and Jocelyn Alday. The group partnered with members of the Master of Social Work Student Association on the IUPUI campus to host the event.

The group raised $4,024, and divided the funds evenly between Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, which seeks to increase awareness of the problem and inform communities about solutions, while serving as a resource for families, individuals and organizations; and Family Works, Inc., a private, mid-sized, community based group that offers counseling and support services to children and families.

Stephanie Smith, '98, was the evening's keynote speaker. Smith is the sex crimes prosecutor for the Clinton County Prosecutor's Office. She talked about her work as a prosecutor, and what she has learned about these kinds of crimes. Smith pointed to the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, which began as a weight-loss study and quickly morphed into an examination of how childhood trauma impacts people long after their experiences. It is estimated that American spend upwards of $90 billion annually dealing with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, and the Center for Disease Control has labeled it an epidemic.

"Why do we insist that children hug and kiss people that they don't want to," Smith asked during her presentation. "We should teach children that there are things they can say no to." Smith noted that victims of these kinds of crimes often feel guilty that they were not able to stop the abuse and that they somehow caused it. Teaching children that saying no to bestowing or accepting affection can empower them to later speak out about or stop such abuse.