Safety Program: Beyond Surviving, Toward a Movement to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

Safety Program: Beyond Surviving, Toward a Movement to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

by Gillian Murphy, Ms. Foundation for Women

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a problem that has remained hidden for too long. Many agree that it is one of, if not the most, taboo problems that we as a society choose to shun. The number of girls and boys who are sexually abused in this country perpetuates patterns of gendered abuse and violence. And when family, teachers, family friends, and religious leaders—the very relationships that should define trust, safety and nurturance—become violators, then safety at its core is removed.

With significant input from the meeting, this report outlines barriers to addressing child sexual abuse on a grassroots level and describes beginning ideas for moving this work forward to its next step. It is not a meeting summary, nor is it a comprehensive paper on the issues surrounding child sexual abuse. We offer this document as a way to launch public ownership and discussion that will move us toward long-term solutions to end child sexual abuse.