April 8th, 2024

Welcome to the MassKids Chronicle, our quarterly e-newsletter where we
share the latest news about our [1]Enough Abuse Campaign to prevent child
sexual abuse, and how you can get involved and take action in your home or
community.

Pledge To Prevent® Campaign Launches to Generate Action to Prevent Child
Sexual Abuse

[2]Enough Abuse and [3]END1IN4 are inviting people everywhere to be a part
of Pledge to Prevent® - a unique national public awareness and action
campaign to prevent child sexual abuse. Launched on April 1 – Child Abuse
Prevention Month – the campaign features outdoor billboards and digital
displays now appearing throughout the month in Greater Boston, Los Angeles,
Miami and in New York City’s iconic Times Square. [4]Click here to read the
Press Release.

In Greater Boston, static billboards are now posted in Lynn, Lowell, and
Medford. Digital billboards are posted on Route 1 South near the Tobin
Bridge and on Route 16 in Everett. 50 live digital ads are appearing
throughout the underground MBTA "T" stations in Boston.

The[5] Pledge To Prevent® website provides individuals and organizations an
online opportunity to get educated about child sexual abuse and take
concrete, practical actions to prevent it in their homes and communities.

Pledge to Prevent® billboard in Times Square, NYC

Pledge to Prevent® gives organizations and individuals everywhere a simple
and concrete way to take specific, achievable actions to help prevent child
sexual abuse in their homes and communities. Pledgers select from 25
different pledges to: build their knowledge about the issue as "Learners";
share their knowledge with others as “Prevention Influencers”; reach out to
schools and youth organizations about prevention policies as “Safe
Community Promoters”; and encourage lawmakers to introduce prevention
legislation as “Movement Builders.”

After selecting a pledge, each pledger receives an email with links to
online resources matched to their pledge so they can confidently carry it
out.

Raise Awareness of Your Organization:

Become a "Pledge Partner"

Organizations that agree to promote the Pledge with their social media
platforms and networks can become “Pledge Partners” and their logos will be
included on the Pledge To Prevent® homepage with links provided so others
can learn about their prevention work. Becoming an active member of this
free, collaborative initiative is easy. Here’s how:

1. Email [6][email protected] that you want to be counted in as a
“Pledge Partner” and include your organization’s logo and URL link.

2.Agree to promote the Pledge to Prevent® with your networks through
newsletters, events, and on your social media platforms and encourage
others to “Show Your Hand, Take a Stand!” to prevent child sexual
abuse. [7]Click here to access the social media toolkit.

Share the Pledge to Prevent:

Become a "Pledge Ambassador"

Individuals can also become “Pledge Ambassadors” by promoting Pledge to
Prevent® with their social media followers. All are welcome to share the
images in the [8]social media toolkit.

The Pledge gives everyone a way to join the movement—to stop the hurt
before it starts. Let’s join together as prevention advocates and broaden
our collective impact to prevent child sexual abuse!

The campaign in Greater Boston is partially supported by the [9]Cummings
Foundation, founded by Joyce and Bill Cummings in 1986, who for over a
decade have provided generous support to over a thousand charities in
Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex Counties.

Advocating to "Pass the Prevention Package!"

MassKids continues to advocates for the passage of a package of bills to
prevent child sexual abuse, through our Citizens to Prevent Child Sexual
Abuse network. You can [10]download this fact-sheet for the latest status
of these prevention bills in Massachusetts. Visit our [11]Citizens to
Prevent Child Sexual Abuse page to learn more about the Prevention Package
bills, and subscribe for future updates about their status, Public
Hearings, etc.

MassKids’ “States Policy Exchange” Highlights National Report on Child
Sexual Abuse in Schools

[12]

The tenth meeting of the States Policy Exchange on Feb. 27th, 2024
featured Business Insider Senior Correspondent, Matt Drange, who shared the
results of his 18-month investigation of child sexual abuse in U.S. public
schools. His article: “[13]An epidemic of sexual abuse in schools,”
published on December 21, 2023, details shoddy investigations, quiet
resignations, and a culture of secrecy that is protecting predators, not
students.

Matt gathered data from the largest 10 school districts in each of the 50
states, including the number of teachers charged with sexual abuse,
schools’ responses to these incidents, and how or if they are implementing
the U.S. DOE’s requirement that schools not engage in the practice referred
to as “passing the trash,” i.e. the aiding and abetting of a school
employee engaged in sexual misconduct with a student to secure a position
in another school.

[14]Email us here to join the next States Policy Exchange Meeting, date
TBA. Visit the [15]States Policy Exchange page to view past meeting
recordings and notes.

More about this resource…

The [16]States Policy Exchange is a national bi-monthly online
information-sharing and peer support platform for child advocates,
survivors, legislators and others seeking to advocate for child sexual
abuse prevention policies and laws in their states. It was launched by
MassKids in 2022 as a follow up to a [17]3-Part Webinar Series for
Policymakers and Advocates held in November 2021 that provided over 80
advocates from 25 states an opportunity to learn more about MassKids’
“[18]A Call to Action for Policymakers and Advocates: Child Sexual Abuse
Prevention Legislation in the States". This 112-page report, released
nationally in June 2021, is the only resource in the U.S. that continuously
tracks child sexual abuse prevention legislation in all 50 states.

Research on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Legislation in the U.S. Published
in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse

MassKids is partnering with Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) and the
National Conference of State Legislatures on a 5-year CDC-funded research
initiative to evaluate the effects of child sexual abuse prevention laws
and policies on reporting and substantiation rates of child sexual abuse.
This collaborative group has just published an articlel in the Journal of
Child Sexual Abuse, co-authored by PCAA research staff and MassKids E.D.,
Jetta Bernier. Click the title to read:

[19]"Child Sexual Abuse in the United States: A Commentary on Current
Policy Approaches to Prevention and Aspirations for the Future"

Enough Abuse Offers Training to Schools to Address "Problematic Sexual
Behaviors" of Children

Findings from national surveys of youth and their parents/caregivers
(Gewirtz-Maden and Finkelhor, 2019, Child Maltreatment), document that in
over 70% of child sexual abuse cases disclosed to researchers, the harm was
caused by another child.

In response to growing requests from schools, youth organizations and
parents for guidance on this issue, MassKids revised its longstanding
curriculum, “Understanding and Responding to Sexual Behaviors of
Children,” to include the latest about PSB or problematic sexual behaviors
of children.

The interactive training increases the knowledge and skills of
professionals to:
* Identify “developmentally expected” sexual behaviors in children;
* Distinguish them from behaviors that are concerning, and/or illegal;
* Respond to all sexual behaviors in ways that promote the healthy
development of children and teens.

Scenarios are presented describing sexual behaviors of children and
adolescents that participants might witness in day care settings, schools
and other youth organizations. Small group discussions provide an
opportunity to learn how to assess and respond to these behaviors in ways
that model good communication, empathy and accountability. These responses
can build protective factors in children and teens to reduce their risks to
be victimized or to engage in PSB.

An initial group of 80 child welfare professionals that completed the
training this fall gave it high marks, e.g. “Down to earth, engaging, real;
appreciated chance to “practice” with scenarios and developmental levels.
Excellent training!"

For information about how you can bring this in-person or virtual
professional development training to your organization, contact
[20][email protected].

Donate Online Today

Help us ensure the right of every child to a safe childhood free from
sexual abuse and exploitation.

[21]Donate today!

Stay connected:

[22]Facebook [23]Twitter [24]Instagram [25]Email Address [26]Website

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19. [link removed] Sexual Abuse in the United States A Commentary on Current Policy Approaches to Prevention and Aspirations for the Future (2).pdf
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