Editor
A Yukon woman is using her
pageant title as a platform to help
break the silence of child sexual
abuse. Debbie Bunch, Mrs.
Canadian County Plus America
2011, kept hidden for many
years her struggles after being a
sexual abuse victim growing up.
Recognizing that many adults
don’t seek help, Mrs. Canadian
County Plus America 2011 has
started focusing on adult recovery.
“It’s very healing to help others,”
she said.
Bunch called child sexual abuse
“a vicious cycle” as victims can
become offenders themselves
when they become adults. She is
looking to help victims who suffer
addictions like over-eating
and drug and alcohol abuse.
“We need to start healing adult
survivors,” she said. “Until we
can stop the cycle, we’ll never be
able to make an impact on this.”
The Yukon woman is endeavoring
to start a support group in
the Yukon-Oklahoma City area
specifically for adult survivors of
child sexual abuse.
“There are so many people
out there who need help, a support
system ... someone to talk
to,” she said. “We’re in the beginning
stages right now.
“I definitely see a need for it,
and I want to fill that need.”
Starting when she was 10 years
old, Bunch was victimized by
three people - two in her immediate
family and the third a close
family friend.
She kept the abuse a secret for
many years, afraid of the stigma.
“Child sexual abuse has a profound
effect on people’s lives,
often for the rest of their lives,”
Bunch said. “Many suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorders.”
The repercussions of the
abuse led to feelings of low selfworth
and over-eating that con
nSee Silence, page 2Ccontinued into adulthood. Bunch realizes
-
they turn 18.
Bunch speaks to church and
civic groups, and works with organizations
like the Center For
Missing and Exploited Children
and Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) to get the message
out and break the silence.
She also works with state lawmakers
to develop new legislation
that protects home day cares
from child sex offenders.
The Yukon woman will compete
this May for the title of Mrs. Oklahoma
Plus America. Contestants
are judged on community service,
stage presence and interview.
Bunch encouraged people to
visit her on-line blog at:
www.debbiebunch.blogspot.com.seven boys are victimized beforethe trauma she suffered
will mean she’ll “never be the
person I could have been.”
“I didn’t say anything until I was
33,” said Bunch, noting she’s forgiven
her abusers. “I was killing
myself with my food addiction.”
Through therapy and “getting
it off my chest”, Bunch continues
to make progress on her
path to recovery.
Being able to talk openly about
her first-hand experiences has
been “very liberating.”
“It’s been about three years
since I told my family,” she said.
“It was a huge weight lifted off
my shoulder.
“I felt that I carried that burden
so long.”
As Mrs. Canadian County Plus
America 2011, the Yukon
woman’s platform is breaking the
silence of child sexual abuse. It’s
an issue she’s passionate about.
She wants to continue making
a difference for other adults with
repressed memories of child
abuse trauma.
Bunch tells other victims that
it’s OK to speak up about what
happened because “we didn’t do
anything wrong.”
She shared some startling statistics
about child sexual abuse:
* The average child sex offender
has more than 300 victims
in their lifetime.
* One in four girls and one in
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