Maya Angelou, a Survivor of child sexual abuse, left us with words that echo like a bell across generations: “When people show you who they are, b
Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf
Maya Angelou, a Survivor of child sexual abuse, left us with words that echo like a bell across generations: “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
When someone defends or excuses those who harm children—who violate the sacred boundaries of innocence—they have shown us who they are. They have shown us what they value, what they excuse, and what they will continue to protect.
And when that line is crossed, what is left?
How can you laugh with such a person again? How can you confide in them? How can you share your joys, your trust, or your sacred moments? To align yourself with someone who shrugs at the destruction of a child’s life is to stand on dangerous ground. Children live with the scars of betrayal for a lifetime. They carry the wounds of being violated long after the adults who failed to protect them have moved on.
Challenge the Excuses
You can make excuses for anything.
We live in a world where far too often adults whisper, “It wasn’t that bad,” or, “Children are resilient, they’ll forget.”
No. Children remember. Their bodies remember. Their spirits remember. When society downplays or normalizes harms against children, we are teaching children to mistrust their own instincts, to silence their voices, and to live in shame that was never theirs to carry. But most of all, that no one cares about them. That lesson sticks.
It is not simply a lapse in judgment—it is a betrayal. And every betrayal of a child fuels a culture that makes the next violation easier.
Defend Children Boldly
Defending children means refusing to laugh it off.
Refusing to sit quietly while others minimize.
Refusing to allow “good intentions” or “misunderstandings” to become shields for predators. Children deserve adults who are fierce about their safety. They deserve adults who see them as sacred, not disposable.
To defend children is to protect our future.
To defend children is to honor Maya Angelou’s wisdom: believe the first time, act the first time, protect the first time.
Children only get one childhood. They only get one first chance at safety, joy, and trust. Let us not squander it.