Why We’re Developing a
National Strategy to Create
a Social Movement to End
Child Sexual Abuse
Rationale
Almost a quarter into the 21st Century arguably there is greater public awareness of child sexual abuse than at any time in human history. Many academic traditions from the social and behavioral sciences to humanities and arts develop content on various aspects of child sexual abuse. Professionals throughout the health, social, and psychological services devote energy to working with and on behalf of victims of childhood sexual abuse and adult survivors. A significant number of programs and agencies have developed innovative prevention programs and many organizations have well-developed plans to influence public policy, research, intervention, and public awareness. Stories of the sexual abuse of youth and adults abused in childhood permeate print and television and digital media.
Yet, there is no public outcry demanding local, state, or federal efforts to end child sexual abuse. Calls for every organization, agency, or social entity to devote a small portion of funds to prevention go ignored. There is no sustained effort to influence policy or practice to end child sexual abuse.
Given the widespread awareness of the frequency and impacts of child sexual abuse, the relative silence and inaction in the face of continued sexual abuse stands not only as a crime but an enigma.
The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center is announcing a project in conjunction with the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands to develop a national strategy to end Child Sexual Abuse. Beginning now and concluding with a Sunnylands meeting in Fall 2023 or early 2024, BSCC and partners will undertake a series of action steps to better understand the relative silence in the public demanding action to end child sexual abuse and develop a plan to inspire and mobilize a national movement to end Child Sexual Abuse.
BSCC in association with Jon Conte, Director of the Joshua Center on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention at the University of Washington who serves as Chair, and Robert Geffner, Ph.D. who serves as Vice-Chair will coordinate all activities leading up to the Sunnylands meeting.
Several principles
guide this work:
Inclusion
The effort to develop a National Strategy (NS) seeks the widest possible collaboration with national organizations, professional experts, citizens – especially parents, survivors, national leaders, faith communities, elected officials and others.
Non-competition
The NS will not endorse any program, plan, policy, group, intervention, or individual advocating for a particular policy, practice, or intervention. The NS is an effort to develop a social movement that supports the efforts of various programs, approaches, individuals, etc. and recognizes that various communities, findings of the research, and other local factors are involved in supporting specific policies, programs, or interventions.
Non-ownership
The NS at the most basic level is a community organization effort that seeks to first understand the relative silence around the prevention of child sexual abuse and second to stimulate, encourage, and support the development of a strategy to create a social movement to end child sexual abuse. It is hoped and anticipated that as the development of the NS moves toward the Fall of 2023, organizations, programs, scholars, and individuals will join the call for a national movement to end child sexual abuse.
The Steering
Committee
Jon R. Conte, Ph.D. Chair
Director, Joshua Center on Child Sexual Abuse
University of Washington
Robert Geffner, Ph.D. Vice-Chair
Founding President
Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT)
John E. Thoresen
CEO
Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation
Pamela J. Pine, Ph.D.
Founder and Director
Stop the Silence
Shelly M. Wagers, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology
University of South Florida
Sandi Capuano Morrison
CEO
IVAT
Katie Hanna
Vice President
U.S. Center for SafeSport
Nicole Epps
Vice President
National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation
Camille Cooper
Board of Directors
The National Child Protection Task Force
How can you help?
Join the Virtual Digital Advisory Council (VDAC)
Sign up to become part of the Virtual Digital Advisory Council (VDAC). The purpose of this council is to establish a national interest group of organizations and individuals:
- interested in creating greater understanding to the obstacles to creating a social movement,
- identifying what has worked and not worked to increase public awareness of child sexual abuse, and
- identify best ideas about creating a national movement to end child sexual abuse.
The VDAC is easy to join. Click on the I want to be part of the Digital Advisory Council. As a member, you will receive periodic reports of our efforts and occasionally be asked short opinion questions. Periodic reports and requests of opinion will be solicited from the group.
Collaborating Partner
The effort to create a national movement to end child sexual abuse is non-exclusionary. We seek and welcome individuals, organizations, programs, other movements and any other entity supporting the development of a national strategy to end child sexual abuse. Collaborating agencies will receive regular updates, all papers, and will be consulted in the development of the briefing papers for the Fall 2023/Winter 2024 Sunnylands Meeting. (Note these meetings are highly selective and involve only 22 individuals but all Collaborating Agencies or Programs will receive the Plan resulting from the meeting and are invited to comment before the Plan is released.
Contact:
- Dr. Jon Conte: contenationalstrategy@gmail.com