There are more than 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in America. Many never tell anyone what happened to them until adulthood. Some never tell at all. As a survivor myself, I understand why.
For years, during my 1,500-mile “Walk in My Shoes” awareness walk across Florida, I carried a jar filled with slips of paper bearing survivors’ names. It was my way of honoring them — of making sure their stories walked beside me all the way to Tallahassee. But eventually, the stories became too big for a jar.
Lauren Book, a former state senator and a sexual abuse survivor, is also the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Lauren’s Kids. (courtesy, Lauren’s Kids)
That is why this spring, Lauren’s Kids launched The Voices Project: a living archive of anonymous audio recordings from survivors, families and loved ones.
As we traveled through South Florida on our 2026 walk — trekking alongside organizations serving survivors, including Nancy J. Cotterman Sexual Assault Treatment Center, the organization that literally saved my life after my own disclosure — survivors stepped into our recording booth and spoke words many had carried silently for years.
You hear a child say, “When I use my voice, I feel proud.”
You hear another survivor say, “Silence doesn’t protect children — it protects the abuser.”
You hear adults still carrying decades of shame asking themselves, “What did I do wrong?”
The stories are heartbreaking, but survivors are more than what happened to them.
South Florida knows this crisis all too well. Across Broward County, children face abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence every day, yet experts know most abuse is never reported. Silence, fear, shame and manipulation keep too many children trapped.
That is why prevention, education and survivor support matter so deeply. Children must be taught age-appropriate safety lessons before abuse happens, not after tragedy strikes. Survivors need access to counseling, advocacy and trauma-informed care. And when someone finds the courage to disclose, we must choose to believe them.
Just a few weeks ago, I sat inside West Palm Beach City Hall listening to survivors connected to Jeffrey Epstein share painful stories about what happened after their abuse. They described being dismissed, discredited, labeled as prostitutes instead of victims, and retraumatized by systems that were supposed to protect them. For years, their voices were buried beneath redacted documents, courtroom battles and public skepticism.
Listening to them reinforced something I have learned over and over again: There is extraordinary power in hearing survivors speak for themselves. Not through headlines. Not through legal filings. Not through someone else’s interpretation. In their own words.
That is the heart of The Voices Project. It is an invitation for survivors to speak if and when they are ready and a call for the rest of us to truly listen without judgment.
Anyone who cares about safe communities and safe children has a role to play. Survivors deserve communities willing to support victim services, invest in prevention education, and ensure children and families can access help both before and after abuse occurs. They deserve to know that when they speak, their voices will not be ignored once the headlines fade.
If you or someone you know needs help, support is available in South Florida at no cost to survivors. The Florida Abuse Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-96-ABUSE.
To listen to stories from The Voices Project — or to anonymously share your own — visit Lauren’s Kids Voices Project at Laurenskids.org/voices.
Lauren Book is a former state senator, founder of the nonprofit Lauren’s Kids and advocate for survivors of abuse.