You think it is something rare, that it doesn’t happen here.
You think by looking away, staying silent, and denying it, that it didn’t happen to you, or someone you know or love.
New data released today, in a ground breaking report conducted by the University of Oregon’s Center for Prevention of Abuse and Neglect and the Ford Family Foundation show a significant level of child sexual abuse. Nearly one in three (29%) of high school students who participated in the survey, experienced at least one form of child sexual abuse yet half (47%) had not disclosed their abuse to anyone at the time.
They also show, “Child sexual abuse and related trauma are compounded by a culture of silence.”
The “first-of-its-kind evaluation of child sexual abuse” report also found that education and prevention work, compared with randomly-selected participants
People educated about child sexual abuse were:
- Five times more likely to report they know what to do to contribute to child abuse prevention in their community,
- Four times more likely to ask about sexual abuse prevention policies,
- Three times more likely to believe their community has a plan to reduce child sexual abuse, and
- Nearly three times more likely to look for signs of sexual abuse in children.
You can download the full report at https://www.tfff.org/mobilizing-oregon-communities-prevent-child-sexual-abuse.
Shari Karney is an attorney, survivor of incest and child rape survivor who advocates nationwide for all child sex abuse survivors. She created a model law in California that passed unanimously to give survivors of child sexual abuse justice. She worked with the Senate Judiciary Committee on the bi-partisan bill “Elimination of Statute of Limitations for Child Sexual Abuse” that President Biden signed into law. Shari is the founder and president of Roar as One, a non-profit that seeks “Justice for Survivors.” A movie was made about Shari’s life, called, Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story. She is an author and speaker.
