When a Doctor Feels Unprepared: How My Helplessness Became a Mission

Despite being a medical doctor, I never learned anything about sexual abuse during medical school. Not a lecture. Not a module. Not even a conversation.

Abuse. Bullying. Trauma. These were taboo subjects—rarely spoken about, never truly taught.

So every time someone came to me and said, “I was bullied,” or “I was abused,” I felt unprepared. And helpless.

This was not because I didn’t care. It was because I didn’t know how to help.

And that reality haunted me.

I am a pediatrician. I hold a PhD in childhood studies. I dedicated my life to children—and yet, when faced with disclosures of abuse, I often felt like I was standing empty-handed in front of deep pain I had never been trained to treat.

That helplessness became my crisis. And that crisis became my mission.

From Silence to Purpose

My name is Laila Risgallah. I am the founder and president of Not Guilty, an organization dedicated to empowering communities to prevent abuse and bullying.

Not Guilty was born in 2012 out of a simple but painful truth: We cannot treat what we refuse to name—and we cannot prevent what we do not understand.

Our mission is to create safer environments for children and families through comprehensive, evidence-based training and support programs.

The Numbers We Can No Longer Ignore

Here is a reality many find uncomfortable—but it must be said:

• One in every four girls

• One in every six boys
  

are abused or bullied before the age of 18 in the Middle East.

And yet, 90% of cases are never reported. Let that sink in.

Why? Because shame silences victims.Because stigma protects perpetrators. Because communities are often unprepared to listen—or respond.

The cost of this silence is enormous.

Victims experience emotional and physical harm that often leads to long-term mental health challenges. These challenges ripple outward, affecting families, schools, workplaces, and society at large—resulting in decreased productivity, increased school absenteeism, and rising healthcare costs.

This is not only a personal tragedy. It is a societal one.

Prevention Is a Community Responsibility

At Not Guilty, we believe prevention does not start with one child—it starts with an entire ecosystem.

That is why we use a four-pronged approach:

1. Train Trainers – to ensure sustainability and scale.

2. Train Teachers and Caregivers – the adults children see every day.

3. Train Parents – the first line of protection.

4. Train Students – giving children age-appropriate tools, language, and confidence.
   

When we strengthen communities, we strengthen families. When we strengthen families, we build a healthier, more productive society.

Every student under the age of 18 is vulnerable to abuse and bullying. There are no exceptions based on background, education, or privilege.

Impact—and a Dream for the Future

Since 2012, Not Guilty has reached over 9,000 students in more than 60 schools across three countries.

And yet, I know this is only the beginning.

I firmly believe that prevention is better than cure.

One of my deepest dreams is to see a complete, mandatory subject in medical school that addresses sexual abuse, bullying, trauma, and their lifelong effects.

No doctor should graduate unprepared to recognize abuse. No survivor should ever be met with silence or uncertainty. And no child should suffer because adults were never taught what to see—or how to respond.

If my early helplessness taught me anything, it is this: Silence is not neutral. It has consequences.

And choosing to speak, to teach, and to prevent—can change lives.