How Families and Communities Can Better Protect and Support Survivors

This is the second of a two-part episode featuring Dr. Veronica Valliere, focusing on victim behavior, healing, and the role families, professionals, and communities play in prevention and recovery.

About Dr. Veronique Valliere: Dr. Veronique Valliere is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of experience in clinical and forensic psychology, recognized nationally and internationally as an expert witness, author, and educator in the field of interpersonal violence. She has trained the military, the FBI, the Department of Justice, and other major agencies, and has presented and testified both across the country and abroad, including before the U.S. Congress and in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial. As the President and Clinical & Forensic Psychologist at Valliere & Counseling Associates, Inc., she specializes in behavioral analysis, risk assessment, domestic violence, and the treatment of violent offenders and their victims. Her work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, PBS NewsHour, and CBS This Morning, and she is the author of multiple books, including Understanding Victims of Interpersonal Violence and Unmasking the Sexual Offender.

In this episode, Ben, Jennifer, and Dr. Veronique Valliere discuss:

• Behavioral indicators and warning signs of child sexual abuse
• Communication, language, and consent in protecting children
• Trauma, healing, and the role of relationships in recovery
• Community responsibility, victim behavior, and systemic responses to abuse

Key Takeaways:

• Children who have been sexually abused may show physical, emotional, or behavioral changes, but many show no outward signs at all, making open communication and education far more protective than relying solely on red flags.
• Using accurate anatomical language, teaching bodily autonomy, and distinguishing healthy versus unhealthy secrets equips children to recognize boundary violations and reduces offenders’ ability to exploit shame and silence.
• Healing from abuse is not linear and often resurfaces at different life stages, with relationships serving as both the original vehicle for harm and the most powerful pathway to recovery.
• Victim behavior that appears confusing or counterintuitive is typically a rational survival response shaped by trauma, offender influence, and social context, which is why community support and informed decision-making matter so deeply. 

"And it's important to understand that in this journey, trauma is not a static thing, like I said. It's fluid, and it changed its form, its nature, its flavor changes as we emotionally, cognitively, and socially develop." — Dr. Veronique Valliere

Connect with Dr. Veronique Valliere: 

Website: https://www.vallierecounseling.com/

Email: [e-mail]

Book: Unmasking the Sexual Offender: www.routledge.com/Unmasking-the-Sexual-Offender/Valliere/p/book/9780367741242

LinkedIn: