This article discusses child sexual abuse, a sensitive topic. Our intent is to highlight that child abuse is common, preventable, and that many people are working to support survivors and change the norms that allow child abuse to persist. One part of that process is to share survivors’ stories, as we do here in honor and memory of Jim Bartko. For support and information about child sexual abuse and its prevention, please visit: Sexual Assault Support Services, RAINN, the Attorney General Sexual Assault Task Force, or the 90by30 Initiative.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, an opportunity for us all to focus on creating safe and supportive environments for children. At the College of Education, faculty and staff leading the 90by30 Initiative from the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect (CPAN) are working to reduce child abuse and neglect 90% by the year 2030 in Lane County, Oregon. This month, we’d like to focus on the story of Jim Bartko, a child abuse survivor who became an advocate for 90by30 and all survivors.
For Jim Bartko, a long-time fixture of the Oregon Athletics program, disclosing the details of the abuse he endured as a child was the first step toward healing. Last year, he published his memoir, Boy in the Mirror, to tell his story and inspire other survivors to tell theirs too. At the same time, he felt compelled to encourage others to work toward protecting children from the fear, guilt, and shame he felt for most of his life. Heartbreakingly, shortly after releasing the memoir, he passed away at the age of 54.
Bartko’s legacy, however, lives on in the College of Education through the Jimmy Bartko Scholarship. His scholarship supports students who are pursuing degrees that lead to careers in service of survivors and who are joining the fight to prevent child abuse.
For 90by30 Initiative Director Jeff Todahl, Bartko’s story “represents a transformation; yet another courageous voice countering the one thing that a perpetrator asks of us: silence.” The 90by30 Initiative is mobilizing communities to provide safe and supportive environments that enable this type of courage.
Through this work, the good news is that everyone can play a role and there are ways, big and small, that we can all help prevent child abuse. To learn more and find your role, visit: K(no)w More Lane County. You can also follow 90by30 on Facebook and Instagram.
Image Credit: Craig Kohlruss for the Fresno Bee