Sexual Abuse Survivor Embarks on Sixth Statewide “Walk in My Shoes” Journey
Lauren Book Says Florida Leads the Nation in Commitment to Child Protection

Just days before she begins her sixth-annual “Walk in My Shoes” journey across Florida, sexual abuse survivor-turned-advocate Lauren Book discussed her excitement for the journey, and recapped how far Florida has come in ensuring the protection of its youth and preventing sex offenders from re-offending.

 

“I’m so excited to begin this walk,” Book said. “The launch always feels so good and is the beginning of such a meaningful journey, one that brings every child in Florida a little bit more hope with each step.”

 

Book, who founded Lauren’s Kids to raise awareness about child sexual abuse, will begin her annual 1,500-mile “Walk in My Shoes” walk across Florida on March 14 in Key West.  The Walk will end on April 22 on the steps of the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee, lasting 42 days to symbolize the 42 million affected by child sexual abuse in the United States. April is also National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

 

The annual walk educates communities about prevention, encourages victims to speak up and supports efforts to protect children and punish perpetrators.

 

Since the first “Walk in My Shoes” statewide journey in 2009, Lauren’s Kids has worked tirelessly to support strengthening penalties for abusers and helping survivors in the healing process. As a result of Lauren’s Kids support for laws strengthening holes in the civil commitment process in 2014, Florida was deemed the harshest state for sex offenders in the country.  During this year’s walk, Lauren will be interviewing convicted sexual predators at Florida’s Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia.

 

On the eve of the sixth annual Walk in My Shoes event, the Lauren’s Kids foundation provided Florida legislators with a detailed research study that documents the drastic effects of child sexual abuse on Florida taxpayers. The full study and an infographic highlighting its findings are available on the Lauren’s Kids website.

 

To learn more about Lauren’s Kids Walk In My Shoes, including when the walk is coming to your community, and a list of local routes and events, visit www.laurenskids.org/walk.

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