(ABC 6 News) – The group, ‘Protecting All Children from Trafficking,’ also known as PACT has released research shedding a light on the journeys of young men in Minnesota who have been sexually abused.

In their report titled, ‘And Minn. Boys Too,’ they detail the barriers to gender-inclusive support services.

Mental healthcare, education, job training; all of these are proactive solutions to a problem we won’t see, if our eyes are closed.

“I have many cases that… all of them have truly left a mark on me,” shared Detective Andrea Burdick with the Rochester Police Department.

When you’re a victim of sexual assault, that mark stays with you. A constant reminder of what was once lost.

“Children are so strong, they have to go through difficult interviews and talk about very difficult… embarrassing, hurtful and they’re so shameful over something that was not their fault,” expressed Det. Burdick.

She goes on to share, “yet they have to talk about it and go through every minute of that in front of strangers.”

Organizations like National Children’s Alliance work to support juvenile victims of sex crimes. Which translates to local aid in the form of the Mayo Clinic Center for Safe and Healthy Children.

A regional support system serving counties across South-East Minn.

But all of this means nothing if the crime isn’t reported.

“It takes a special kind of victim that is willing to be strong enough, and to go forward.”

Just last year, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension reported that of the nearly 9,000 victims to sex crimes in all of Minnesota?

48% were under the age of 18, but in Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona counties? A combined 52%.

The authors of this report claim that the system that supposed to help victims is designed for young girls; and they say boys face barriers to getting help.

Barriers like lack of mental healthcare and education, which are magnified when we see that only 15% of male victims are likely to receive care after their assault, when compared to the 65% of their female counterparts.

In a statement by Lori Cohen, CEO of PACT, she says “boys are commonly an afterthought when it comes to the field of child protection and receive less follow-up support than girls. These findings underscore the importance of investing in key figures and resources in the community to help with prevention and intervention.”

There are roughly 40 registered sex offenders through the BCA, across the South-Eastern region of the state.

“They’re people too, and they’ve made mistakes and I’m not saying they’re not going to make ’em again, but the people I have worked with have worked very hard just to get to the point where they can be in a community,” said Det. Burdick.

We can’t solve every crime overnight, but to make real change, lasting change? Well it’s not going to happen with our eyes closed.

“There are people out there that think it’s okay to hurt kids and we need our kids to be prepared for it,” expressed Det. Burdick.

She goes on to add, “we need to make it a priority to get our kids to know what it is to be safe, what is okay and what’s not okay.”

It’s not always the physical scars that victims carry for the rest of their lives, mental health may be a complex issue, but it’s also something that can be tackled.