Child sexual abuse is a rampant problem affecting millions of people in our country. There are millions of current adults who experienced sexual abuse as children. Through the Enough Abuse Campaign targeting adults, and programs for young children, there are presentations and tested curricula to help our community and leaders end the epidemic of child sexual abuse. One key fact that is important to keep in mind is that the majority of abusers of children (more than 90%) are individuals the child and their family know and love. While strangers can hurt children, and tactics that strangers might use to lure children should be made widely known, it is much more common for children to be harmed by family members or other adults close to them. While we empower children to be in control of their own bodies and let them know it is ok to tell someone if abuse is happening to them, we know there are many barriers that prevent children from telling. This is why we also focus on educating adults and changing policies so that as a society we are much better able to effectively protect children.
Our prevention, outreach and education programs aim to shed light on some of the realities of sexual violence in our community, as well as the root issues in our society and culture that lead to a glamorization of rape and sexual violence that is unacceptable, and a focus on blaming victims which is damaging and hurtful.
Information is targeted both to potential victims and potential perpetrators with a goal of changing behaviors and mind sets to make our community a safer place to live and work. We stress empowerment and knowledge as tools that everyone can use to protect themselves and others. We also encourage everyone to accept their role as an active bystander with an ability to make a difference in any situation of violence they may witness by helping people make better choices, assisting others, or engaging other appropriate authorities to intervene.
*To learn more about bringing our educational programs to your school, neighborhood, or event, please see one of the following pages: School Programs, Community Programs and Events, PartySmart, Enough Abuse.
