Crystal Sisson - Crystal is a Class IV Fellow. She is currently working as a Primary Prevention Educator at Holly’s House in Evansville, IN. She has been at Holly’s House for 8 years. Before that, she has a long, experienced history of working for various non-profits and bettering the Indiana community. 

Holly's House is a safe haven for children and adults. What made you start working there?

Crystal: “Holly’s House attracted me because of its mission to help not only children, but adults in the community who have experienced traumatic events. I'm very passionate about doing something  that will  have an impact on other people. I have a lot of experience working with kids in group settings, community outreach, and education. I started working at Holly's House about eight years ago. Before, I worked at a nonprofit, doing some prevention and community outreach with people with intellectual disabilities. When the Prevention Educator opportunity became available, I knew this position would be perfect for me.”

When you hear about these unthinkable tragedies, how do you keep going and what motivates you when you get discouraged? 

Crystal: “That's a really good question. When clients come through our doors, they will experience two possible paths, one is justice and the other is healing.  Our role as a child advocacy center is to assist in the investigation of these cases and provide support to the victim and their family. We have no control over the outcome of what happens- whether or not the case will go to court or if it will be favorable for the victim.. Many times, we may not  know the outcome of a case for a couple years because of the legal process. There are times that victims, unfortunately, don't receive the justice that they deserve. It can be tough, but one thing that keeps me going is when we hear positive stories from clients who have used our services. Whether or not their legal experience worked out in favor of them, they speak of how we treated them and speak very positively of their experience at Holly’s House. Moreover, they describe how we were able to support them through that period of making those initial reports. In my role as a Primary Prevention Educator, I want to help kids understand what to look for in predatory, abusive situations and how to tell an adult about abuse or that they feel uncomfortable. After the program, we want kids to feel empowered to use what they have learned.”

Do you think Indiana, as a whole, can do better to help victims of abuse- policy wise, community wise, etc?

Crystal: “There's so many possible ways. I can see how Indiana, as well as our country as whole, can improve. When it comes to abuse situations, whether it's domestic violence, sexual assault, or child abuse, we need to allow survivors to feel comfortable sharing what they've experienced. We want them to be able to use their stories to empower others, talk about these issues, and know that they are not alone.  I also have a lot of passion for educating parents on talking to their children about abuse and consent. These are all conversations that have been swept under the rug for so long. We can't be scared to talk about these things anymore because silence is what  perpetrators use to keep their victims from disclosing abuse in the first place. Indiana worked to create policies to provide education to students and educators. This education would consist of guidance for identifying and reporting abuse. In 2018, Indiana passed Bill 355 that requires all schools to provide Sexual Abuse Prevention Education in grades K through 12 and clarifies the process educators should use as mandatory reporters -which is great. However, there's not a whole lot of “meat”  behind it as far as funding and identification of evidence based programs recommended for use.  As a state, I believe we should have more of a comprehensive sexual education approach within K through 12 grades. I know that's scary for some parents, but there are age-appropriate conversations that, even in kindergarten, can be introduced to help children understand boundaries. It’s not all about sex. Consent includes how we want to be treated emotionally and physically and how we can respect others. This ties into bullying and school violence. This also encompasses teen dating and domestic violence as well. Having a kid being able to say “no” to a hug because they're not comfortable, but suggesting a high five instead, is huge. We can instill education in kids early while still protecting their innocence.``

How has technology made it worse for victims? Has it been harder to navigate this new path?

Crystal: “Technology has dramatically changed in the eight years that I have worked at Holly’s House, yet many of the basic safety messages still remain.  Statistically, 1 in 3 adults has an inappropriate picture on their phone. Respectively, 1 in 2 teenagers have an inappropriate picture on their phone. Whether they have created these images themselves, or someone has sent it to them, these images are stored on their phone. We want people to be aware that if you share these images with someone, you don't know what that person is going to do with them. We have a lot of discussions with kids during our program. Predators will use the internet to manipulate kids and adults. There are many ways that games are used to easily manipulate kids, teens, and adults in sharing inappropriate photos, personal information, and plans to meet in person. We want people to know what to do in order to protect themselves from these types of internet crimes as well.  I want to help kids become more aware of behaviors to look out for and actions that they can take to keep themselves safe online. Most importantly, just letting kids know that it is okay to talk about these things with an adult and ask for help is huge. I would love to get more parents comfortable with having these important conversations with their children by teaching them how to appropriately react when handling online situations. "

Holly House’s is the first step an individual takes to report a crime. Why are forensic interviews more beneficial than normal interviews? 

Crystal: “When a forensic interview is conducted there are certain protocols and methods that these specially trained individuals will use in order to gather the information they need from the child. Our Forensic Interviewers use a protocol called, ‘Child First’. It's a nationally recognized, evidence based interview protocol. It's all about how they allow that child to tell their story. We want kids to be able to use their own words. We also don't want to force them into talking about something that they are not ready to talk about. They find ways to ask the child questions about what happened, so that they are not considered leading in any way. This interview is a recorded statement that can be used as evidence in a court case. Moreover, it creates a standard across the board: “What is considered an appropriate question?” and “How is it asked?’” Additionally, when a forensic interview is conducted in a child advocacy center, the multidisciplinary team, including child services and law enforcement, can work together to best support the child and their family through the process.”

What made you apply to be an MDLF Fellow? How has the MLF program helped you so far/ how do you hope it will help you in the future with your work and continuing to make an impact on the community?

Crystal: “Our Executive Director and I have quarterly meetings to discuss goals and personal development. One of my goals is to continue building my skills as a leader and create opportunities to network with others around the state to enhance our work. I saw the [MDLF] ads on Facebook and became curious to learn more about the Fellowship.  After doing some research and talking to a mentor, I decided to apply. Just knowing that hundreds of people throughout the state apply for the fellowship excited me. I was really surprised to find out that I was selected. As I begin to participate in the fellowship program, I continue to be really impressed by how diverse the backgrounds are [of the other Fellows]. I am excited to learn more about how we can all work together to move Indiana forward!!”