This month, a growing community of researchers, policymakers, and front-line practitioners is celebrating a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month like none other.
It’s been 41 years since April was proclaimed in the United States as the month to advance the more general cause of child abuse prevention, and over time, the focus was broadened to sexual assault. The specific emphasis on the prevention of child sexual abuse—especially perpetration prevention—is still relatively new, reflecting a growing body of research and practice showing that prevention of child sexual abuse is possible and that the most effective, humane way to deal with the multi-generational trauma of child sexual abuse is to stop it before it occurs.
But today, the lion’s share of the resources go to justice, with not nearly enough to support survivors and pursue proven strategies to prevent future abuse.
That balance is beginning to shift. And none too soon because it leaves some deeply important questions unanswered:
It’s a tough challenge that runs headlong into some of our society’s deepest assumptions and fears. But we’re making progress. This year, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Month is an opportunity to celebrate a decade of notable, sometimes spectacular success. And, even more importantly, to lay the foundation for another 10 years of hard work to bring prevention to the top of the policy and action agenda on child sexual abuse.
In late June, the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse will be convening colleagues and partners from across the United States and around the world to share the latest advances in the effort to stop child sexual abuse in its tracks. Some of the most significant emerging storylines include:
As the public narrative on child sexual abuse shifts and awareness of prevention becomes more widespread, we so often hear the same question from survivors and their families:
How would life have been different if we’d know then what we know now about how child sexual abuse can be prevented?
It’s a wrenching question that we can only answer with compassion and support for anyone who’s been there and a determined commitment to bring prevention to the center of child sexual abuse research and practice.
We’ve learned so much and progressed so far over the last decade. We still have a lot of ground to cover. But we know enough to say definitively that prevention can make a decisive difference in people’s lives. And we’re just getting started.
References
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/moore-center-for-the-prevention-of-child-s…
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