Fall 2022

practices to prevent child sexual abuse through:

• high quality in-person and online trainings;
• cutting-edge assessment and prevention tools; and
• expert technical assistance on prevention policies.

Schools and youth organizations committed to implementing a comprehensive set of trainings, policies and practices to prevent child sexual abuse have access to a robust set of training and prevention policy resources that can help them:

Screen prospective employees to keep out unsafe individuals;

Train staff and volunteers about how to prevent child sexual abuse; 

Assess current prevention policies to identify strengths and address gaps;

Respond to staff boundary violations with specific, tested protocols; and

Secure physical spaces to reduce opportunities for abuse to occur.

Gold Star schools and youth organizations let students and their parents know they are serious about preventing sexual abuse and committed to providing kids with a safe haven where they can learn, play and grow. Their efforts to prevent abuse not only keeps kids safe, they enhance their organization’s reputation in the community and reduce the significant legal and financial liabilities that can result when sexual abuse incidents occur.

It’s a win-win for everyone – the children, their families, the school, and the entire community!

Learn more about how your school or YSO can begin to Earn Your Safety S.T.A.R.S., today!

Check out the new EnoughAbuse.org!

Visit our recently redeveloped and updated Enough Abuse Campaign website with lots of information on how you can Get the Facts about child sexual abuse; Get Trained on ways to prevent it; Get Involved through our Safety STARS program for schools and youth organizations, our Pledge to Prevent™ online action campaign for individuals, and our collaboration with Brave Movement, a global initiative to end sexual violence of children and adolescents. Learn ways you can Get Vocal and influence state legislation to prevent child sexual abuse.

Our Get Help section includes many downloadable resources for parents and professionals on how to prevent child sexual abuse, report suspected cases, and access treatment and support services. 

Since its launch under a 5-year grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2002, Enough Abuse and its partners have made great strides. Check out Who We Are/What We Believe and how these have fueled the many Outcomes and Impacts of Enough Abuse over the past two decades.

Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Online Courses Reaching Thousands of Schools and Youth Organizations

The Enough! online courses on child sexual abuse prevention have reached over 12,000 school and youth serving organization staff, in over 160 schools and YSOs in 9 states.

Massachusetts schools that have recently adopted the course include Lowell, where 1,200 staff were trained in 2021, and Tewksbury, where 340 employees were trained this Spring. Burlington Schools are currently training their 700 employees; Derby Academy is training 100 employees, and BART Charter School is training 85 employees.

Evaluations remain consistently high and participants often comment on how they appreciate the interactivity and clarity of the course.

I have been teaching for nearly 30 years and this is one of, if not the best trainings videos I have ever sat through. It was visually beautiful and well presented…It was powerful. Lowell Public Schools 

Explores the thought process of those who don't report sexual abuse and disproves each doubt, point by point. Noble & Greenough School 

I liked that it was interactive and particularly liked the 'real scenarios, real people's thoughts' framing of this—it was more effective than most at getting at the barriers (biases and lack of knowledge) that might prevent adults from speaking up when needed to protect kids. Chelsea Public Schools

Update on Pass the Prevention Package! Campaign

We have been advocating for a series of child sexual abuse prevention bills in Massachusetts through our Pass the Prevention Package! campaign. Despite the strong advocacy of survivors and their allies, and that two of our three key child sexual abuse prevention bills were voted favorably out of their committees, consuming debates over tax cuts, the Dobbs decision and gun control resulted in many strong bills never getting to the finish line. Advocates believe passage is only just out of reach and vow to be back on Beacon Hill in greater force in the next session, to ensure that Massachusetts children are better protected from the trauma and life long consequences of sexual abuse. These bills would:

• Mandate education about child sexual abuse prevention for all schools and youth organizations; (S369)
• Strengthen the screening of applicants for positions in schools to identify any past sexual misconduct; (H1471/S1091)
• Prohibit the aiding and abetting of a school employee engaged in sexual misconduct with a student to secure a position in another school; (H1471/S1091)
• Close the “age of consent loophole” that has been providing legal protection for individuals engaged in sexual relations with youth 16-18 years of age; (S1092/S132)
• Increase penalties for educator-specific sexual misconduct and for persons in positions of authority over a child who commit child sexual abuse. (S1092/S132)

To keep up to date with this campaign, visit our Citizens to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse page and subscribe to the e-newsletter.

Good news - child marriage is now illegal in Massachusetts! Until July this year, a child of any age could be married in Massachusetts with parental consent and judicial approval. This was a huge child rights issue, since it put children who are married, primarily teenage girls, at risk for abuse without recourse since as minors, they could not file for a divorce or an order of protection. MassKids served on the MA Coalition to End Child Marriage, led by Unchained at Last, which succeeded in getting this bill passed. 

Stop the Hurt Before it Starts!

We are an outcome-driven, no frills organization. Every dollar raised is used to make the greatest impact for children. 

 Your generous donation will help us: 

• Educate more parents, concerned adults and communities about what they can do to keep children safe from child sexual abuse;
• Train more school and youth organization staff to identify boundary violations before they can escalate to reportable, illegal sexual offenses;
• Provide assistance to school and youth organization leaders to help  strengthen their prevention policies and practices; 
• Engage individuals everywhere to take specific actions to prevent child sexual abuse through our unique online “Pledge to Prevent™” action campaign; and
• Advocate for passage of legislation that would provide justice for survivors, accountability for abusers, and protection for more children.

Visit our Donate page and listen to the inspiring prevention message from the children who remind us to: “Stop the Hurt Before It Starts, we don’t need more broken hearts. Our kids should grow up fine and free. It’s up to you and me!” 

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