Campaign Sites

Massachusetts Enough Abuse Campaign

The National Enough Abuse Campaign is led by MassKids (Massachusetts Citizens for Children), a Boston-based child advocacy nonprofit that has been working on behalf of vulnerable children for over six decades.

Enough Abuse was launched in 2002 under a 5-year grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose of the $1.2 million grant was to develop a comprehensive social change model aimed at building adult and community responsibility for preventing child sexual abuse.  With public and private agency collaborators, we launched the Enough Abuse Campaign to mobilize communities, educate citizens, strengthen school and youth organization policies, and advocate for prevention legislation.

Learn about what Massachusetts communities have done and are doing to address the problem, and how your community can become a part of this growing movement to end child sexual abuse. To learn more about these efforts and  how you can bring Enough Abuse trainings to your school, organization or community, contact MassKids at info@masskids.org.  

Statewide Eliot Community Human Services Certified Enough Abuse Trainers

Statewide Massachusetts MENTOR Certified Enough Abuse Trainers 

Subscribe to our quarterly e-newsletter to learn more about MassKids’ child sexual abuse prevention work.

Massachusetts Resources

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Many communities across Massachusetts have organized local Enough Abuse Campaign coalitions, established a cadre of certified Enough Abuse Campaign Trainers, conducted free community trainings to educate the public and professionals about the issue, and have supported CSA prevention legislation. Among them are:

Cape Cod and the Islands

History

Enough Abuse was launched on Cape Cod and the Islands in 2012, when MassKids approached Independence House to explore their interests in facilitating the Campaign. Independence House,  a member of the Community Network of Cape Cod (CNCC)  approached the Network to be a co-partner in organizing the Campaign. CNCC is a collaborative forum for members to learn, share and develop ideas that enhance the quality of programs and services for the well-being of children, youth and their families.

Staff from Independence House and Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition agreed to co-facilitate the Campaign. Other members of the planning committee included  MASS Mentors, local schools, Cape Cod Center for Women,  Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment, and other community members.

Accomplishments

In the first few years of Enough Abuse Cape Cod & the Islands, the Campaign held public forums as a first step to educate community members on the facts of child sexual abuse and its prevention. These forums were hosted by the MA Nurse Association on Cape Cod in Sandwich, Councils on Aging in Provincetown and Truro, and the First Congregational Church in Falmouth. Enough Abuse Cape Cod & the Islands trainers also presented specific workshops to Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Sturgis Charter Public School faculty, Mass Mentors Foster Parents, as well as staff at the Cape Cod Child Development Program, Inc.

Over the years since then, dozens of advocates have been trained to provide Enough Abuse workshops to a wide variety of audiences.

How to Schedule a Training on the Cape, Volunteer and/or Receive Additional Information

Contact: Chris Morin at Independence House at chrism@indhouse.net or 508-771-6507×230; or Beverly Costa-Ciavola at Cape Cod Neighborhood Support Coalition at beverly@capecoalition.com or 508-771-4336.

Cape Cod Resources

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Gloucester/Cape Ann

In 2003, Gloucester was selected from a pool of 20 applying communities to be one of the three original pilot sites of the Enough Abuse Campaign under the 5-year CDC grant.

The Gloucester Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership (GCSAPP) was established as a community-wide collaborative with the  mission to prevent the sexual abuse of children with Pathways for Children serving as lead agency for the initiative.

Pathways for Children nurtures children and supports families impacted by economic and social inequity through programs that educate, enrich, empower and motivate. The GCSAPP worked closely with the Gloucester Coalition for the Prevention of Domestic Abuse, whose primary mission is to ensure Gloucester as a domestic violence free zone.

According to a 2003 Gloucester Public Opinion Poll, 55% of local respondents considered child sexual abuse to be a serious problem in their community. A similar poll taken in 2007 revealed that 60% of residents said they would be willing to participate in local community trainings to learn about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. This was up from 35% in 2003.

Several members of the Gloucester Partnership participated in an extensive training of Trainers that certified them to offer free trainings for parents, concerned citizens and professionals in Gloucester and Cape Ann. Members  included: Gloucester Mayor’s Office, Gloucester Police, Gloucester Schools, Gloucester Health Department, Health and Education Services, Inc., Cape Ann Early Intervention, Cape Ann Families of Wellspring House, Cape Ann Partnership for Children and Families, Cape Ann Pediatricians, Cape Ann YMCA, Children’s Friend and Family Services, MA Department of Children and Families, Health and Education Family-Based Services, Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWK), North Shore ARC, The Bridge Program, and Health Gloucester.

Gloucester Resources

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Greater Lowell

History

The Center for Hope and Healing (formerly Rape Crisis Services of Greater Lowell) was first introduced to the Enough Abuse Campaign through presentations conducted by the Campaign for the staff of rape crisis agencies across the state. In 2009, Enough Abuse and Rape Crisis Services agreed to explore the formation of a child sexual abuse prevention initiative in the Greater Lowell area.

The Greater Lowell Partnership Against Sexual Assault (GLPASA) was a group of community advocates, health/ mental health professionals, and public safety officials dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse and sexual assault within Greater Lowell communities. Members included: Rape Crisis Services, Lowell Police Department, Lowell General Hospital, MAPS (Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers), Asian Task Force, UMass Lowell Police Department, and the Lowell Community Health Center.

Subsequent meetings with GLPASA confirmed that it would be the most appropriate local vehicle to coordinate and implement child sexual abuse programs and activities. In 2010, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed which formally established the Enough Abuse Campaign in Greater Lowell.

The Partnership’s mission was to decrease the harm done by sexual violence through coordinated community education, prevention, and service delivery efforts; and to increase collaboration between individuals and organizations whose work includes issues of child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault.

Early Achievements of GLPASA and the Greater Lowell Enough Abuse Campaign:

• Convened a 2-day “Training of Trainers” that certified 11 community trainers to deliver the Enough Abuse Campaign curricula;
• Conducted numerous free trainings for parents, professionals and youth to educate them about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it;
• Collaborated with the Lowell Domestic Violence Task Force;
• Participated in “Take Back the Night,” an annual, community-wide event that helps  unify women, men, and children to speak out against sexual and domestic violence.
• Worked to establish a formalized sexual assault response team (SART) for the Lowell community;
• Partnered with the Lowell Police Department to provide resources and training regarding sexual abuse and assault for 100 police officers within Lowell and several surrounding cities and towns.

Recent Enough Abuse Greater Lowell Activities

The Center for Hope and Healing and the Greater Lowell Health Alliance continue to partner with Enough Abuse to provide child sexual abuse prevention trainings, including  offering online training and policy resources to schools and youth organizations in Greater Lowell.

In 2020-2021, Enough Abuse secured funding from the Parker Foundation to provide free trainings for 1,200 Lowell Public School employees using the Enough Abuse Campaign’s one-hour online course, “Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My School”.

In April 2021, MassKids partnered with the Center for Hope and Healing and the Greater Lowell Health Alliance to host a three-part webinar series on preventing child sexual abuse for youth serving organizations.

In June 2021, Enough Abuse secured a 3-year Cummings Foundation grant to expand its efforts to train and provide technical assistance and support around prevention policy development for schools and for over 100 youth-serving organizations in Greater Lowell communities.

Lowell Resources

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Lynn

History and Mission

In 2015 Associated Grant Makers and MassKids convened a special Funders Briefing to introduce Massachusetts foundations and non-profit members to the Enough Abuse Campaign and its new resource, “Sexual Abuse Safe-Child Standards” for youth organizations and schools.  Also highlighted was legislation filed that session to require youth organizations and schools to offer comprehensive child sexual abuse prevention education and to adopt safe-child policies. Participants discussed their role in helping the youth organizations they funded to reduce liability and strengthen their prevention policies and practices.

Present at the Briefing were Jim Carrigan, prominent Lynn lawyer and advocate, and Birgitta Damon, Executive Director of Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO, Inc.) who were seeking to address child sexual abuse in their community. A meeting of community leaders was subsequently held with Enough Abuse Director Jetta Bernier at City Hall including the Mayor of Lynn,  the Lynn Superintendent of Schools, LEO, Inc., Lynn Housing Authority, My Brother’s Table, All Care VNA and other local leaders to learn about the Enough Abuse Campaign and to support its launching in Lynn.

In April 2016, Enough Abuse convened a 2-day “Training of Trainers” in City Council Chamber for 30 individuals from local agencies. Presenters during the training included leaders of the Lynn Police Department’s Sexual Abuse Unit, the District Attorney’s Office and the Lynn Community Health Center’s Mental Health Department. The 30 trainees were certified to provide free trainings across the community using the Campaign’s research-based training curricula and materials.

Community trainings have continued since then and meetings of key Lynn leaders have continued to assess progress. In 2021, The American Dream cable program featured a 30-minute discussion hosted by Jim Carrigan, with Senator Joan Lovely and MassKids Director Jetta Bernier to inform citizens about child sexual abuse prevention efforts in Lynn:

Lawyer and child advocate Jim Carrigan discusses Lynn child sexual abuse prevention efforts with former School Superintendent Patrick Tutwiler

In Spring 2021, MassKids secured a 3-year grant from the Cummings Foundation to continue trainings and support policy work in Lynn schools and youth organizations. In 2022, Enough Abuse activities in Lynn included: 

• Lynn Daily Item published a front-page series of articles about child sexual abuse and Enough Abuse Campaign efforts to prevent it in the community.  https://www.itemlive.com/2022/04/27/the-evil-that-is-abuse-nobody-wants-to-talk-about-this/
•  48 youth serving organizations serving Lynn were identified and informed about the free Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My Youth Organization online course, which was made available to them. Several are taking  advantage of the opportunity to train their employees and volunteers.  
• Presentation by Enough Abuse Director Jetta Bernier to the Lynn Education District, a group of 25 key city leaders, e.g.  the Mayor’s Office, Boys & Girls Club, Girls, Inc., Lynn YMCA, St. Mary’s School, etc. to announce the initiative and engage them.
• Meeting with leaders of four charter schools serving 2,600 students in Lynn to plan roll-out of the Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My School online course. 
• MassKids Director and School Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler were guests on the 30-minute American Dream Cable TV program to discuss educator sexual misconduct and how to prevent it. https://bit.ly/AmericanDream040822
• Lynn School Superintendent agreed to provide the Enough! online course for 2,400 school employees and volunteers during the 2022-2023 school year.

Lynn Resources

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Medford

In 2021, the Cummings Foundation awarded MassKids and the Enough Abuse Campaign a three-year grant to support child sexual abuse prevention training and prevention policies for schools and youth organizations in the cities of Medford, Lowell and Lynn.

In Medford, meetings were held with Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn and School Committee member Melanie McLaughlin to announce the Cummings grant and the Enough Abuse initiative.

Together, the Mayor’s Office and Enough Abuse outreached to 37 Medford youth-serving organizations encouraging them to adopt the free online training course “Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My Youth Organization.”

Medford Community Cable has agreed to produce a half-hour program to educate citizens abut child sexual abuse prevention and to encourage their engagement in the child sexual abuse prevention initiative. 

Medford citizens have met with State Representation Sean Garballey who represents West Medford. He has confirmed strong support for the prevention campaign and his interest in publicizing it in local media, including as a guest on a Medford Community Cable program on the topic this fall.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, School Superintendent Dr. Edouard-Vincent will work with Enough Abuse and the School Committee to plan implementation of the online Enough! training for over 600 school employees and volunteers serving 4,500 students.

Watch this space for updates.

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Middlesex County

In October 2014, Enough Abuse brought together leaders in Middlesex County to form the Middlesex County Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership, co-chaired by Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, State Representative Ken Gordon. Members included Woburn City Council, the YMCA, the Mama Bear Effect, Speak Truth to Power, and other survivors and child advocates. 

In July 2014 with support from local Middlesex County citizens, MassKids secured a two-year grant from the Cummings Foundation to establish a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership in Eastern Middlesex County which would recruit, train and certify a cadre of local volunteers to provide free sexual abuse prevention education. This Partnership recruited and certified 18 vetted professionals to provide Enough Abuse trainings and to then educate parents, youth and a broad range of professionals and citizens in Eastern Middlesex communities.  

In 2017, with the release of the Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My School course, Burlington Public Schools worked with MassKids to pilot the course. Burlington teachers participated in a research study conducted by Simmons University to evaluate the course’s effectiveness. The randomized-controlled study of teachers in three states published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse (2019) documented at the highest levels of statistical significance:

• Increased learner knowledge about child sexual abuse and its prevention;
• Ability to identify boundary-violating behaviors that if left unchecked could lead to illegal and reportable sexual misconduct or abuse; and
• Confidence and willingness to report suspected or disclosed cases. 

98.4% of learners indicated they would recommend the course to their colleagues. 

At a subsequent meeting of the Burlington School Committee to report findings of the research, the Committee voted unanimously to require that all Burlington School employees be educated about child sexual abuse using this new evidence-informed prevention training. In-person trainings were held during Professional Development days.

In August 2022, Burlington School Superintendent authorized the online Enough! training for 1,000 school employees and volunteers for the 2022-2023 school year.  A $2,000 training grant from Community Health Network Area (CHNA-15) helped support the effort.

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Newton/Waltham

In 2003, Newton was selected from a pool of 20 applying communities to be one of the three original pilot sites for the Enough Abuse Campaign under a 5-year CDC grant.

According to a Newton Public Opinion Poll, 47% of local respondents considered child sexual abuse to be a serious problem in their own community. 52% said they were willing to participate in local community trainings to learn about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it.

The Newton/Waltham Community Partnership to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse was organized as a collaboration of professionals, parents, individuals, and community agencies from Newton  and the neighboring community of Waltham. Collaborative activities and trainings were  expanded to include the surrounding towns of Watertown, Arlington, Belmont and Needham.

Funding to support the Partnership was generously provided by the Rebecca Pomroy Foundation, the Connor Foundation, Community Health Network Area 18, and through donations of community members.

The partnership was led by Family ACCESS, a nonprofit that empowers and strengthens families and the community by providing programs that nurture child development, promote effective parenting skills and supports working parents.

The Partnership has provided community trainings to help adults learn to more effectively prevent the perpetration of child sexual abuse. The Partnership has also hosted periodic forums and events to create opportunities for dialogue and learning about this important issue.

“There are few efforts I consider more important than preventing child sexual abuse. Even in Newton, ‘the Safest City in America’, we must be diligent in our prevention efforts. We are proud to be a pilot city for this outstanding prevention effort.”

Former Mayor David Cohen, 2004

 

Recent Enough Abuse Activities in Waltham

School leaders from seven area cities and towns convened in Waltham in January 2020 at the Government Center for a half-day Enough Abuse training designed to provide school officials with the necessary tools and knowledge to address and prevent child sexual abuse. Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy and State Representative John Lawn (D-Watertown) and the MA Association of School Superintendents co-hosted the event. The training was conducted by MassKids Director Jetta Bernier and Board Member Carmen Durso, Esq, legal expert on child sexual abuse.  Over 30 school leaders from Burlington, Cambridge, Lexington, Stoneham, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, and Wilmington attended.

Subsequently, the Enough Abuse Campaign was featured at the 1^st Annual Waltham Parenting Awareness Conference held on March 7^th, 2020 at the McDevitt School.

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North Quabbin

In 2003, North Quabbin was selected out of a pool of 20 applying communities to be one of the three original pilot sites of the Enough Abuse Campaign under a 5-year CDC grant.

The North Quabbin Community Coalition’s Sexual Abuse Prevention Project is a community-wide alliance committed to improving the quality of life for all those living and working in the North Quabbin region by working toward the prevention of sexual abuse.

The project is dedicated to building a community where children are empowered by knowledge and skills, and protected by caring adults who take responsibility for keeping children safe. It serves the 9-town North Quabbin region of Athol, Erving, New Salem, Orange, Petersham, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick, and Wendell.

A North Quabbin Public Opinion Poll confirmed that 69% of local respondents consider child sexual abuse to be a serious problem in their own community; 76% of residents  indicated they would be willing to participate in local community trainings to learn about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it.

The North Quabbin Sexual Abuse Prevention Project certified 12 local Enough Abuse trainers and continues to  provide  a variety of trainings for parents , professionals, educators, and others interested in the prevention of child sexual abuse. 

“I am proud to see the Enough Abuse Campaign hard at work in my Senate District. By keeping the public apprised of the most up-to-date prevention strategies, we can spare our children from this tragedy.”

Senator Stephen Brewer (D-Barre)
North Quabbin Region

An Example of the Impact of the Enough Abuse Campaign

Here is one example of how the work of the Coalition and Enough Abuse resulted in the identification, arrest and conviction of a community resident who had sexually abused many children over several decades.  This summary was prepared by then Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Bialecki.

A single mom attended our parent trainings to learn the skills she needed to prevent her children from becoming victims of child sexual abuse. Over a year later, she moved into a new apartment building. One day her 7-year-old daughter was playing with neighborhood children in the courtyard of the building.  That evening she disclosed to her mother that the janitor of the building had taken her to an isolated part of the basement with another child to “show her his secret place”.  She went on to explain that he had fondled her.

This mom knew exactly what to do.  First, she remained calm in the face of this horrific disclosure. She believed her daughter and made sure she knew she would be protected. She immediately contacted the local police. Upon hearing the little girl’s account, they checked out the described area of the basement and located a makeshift bed and children’s toys that the perpetrator had used to lure his victims to the spot. They then interviewed the other child who had been present and although she had not reported the incident to her parents, she confirmed that she had also been abused by the janitor.

Given the new information, the police and District Attorney launched a full investigation. They learned that the janitor had been abusing children for several  years and had made threats to ensure their silence.  Several children had suffered multiple rapes by this man over a period of months. The mom who had been trained in the Enough Abuse Campaign series, had learned that breaking the silence was critical to convicting this dangerous perpetrator.  She immediately reached out to her former trainers and other community supports and began a campaign of her own to educate other parents.  She was able to convince three other parents of victims in the building to come forward with information which led to an eventual conviction of the janitor on multiple counts of child sexual abuse.

This brave mother also had learned how to support her child and her family moving forward and began counseling services for herself and her daughter. Today, this family and others are safer and happier due to the critical skills and support provide by the Enough Abuse Campaign.

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Southern Worcester County

History

The Webster Community for Success Council is a community planning group convened by the Webster Adult Basic Education Program of the Webster Public Schools. Members include key stakeholders within the community: school personnel, social service agencies, businesses, and local government including many town officers and the Police Department. The group meets quarterly throughout the year to keep current on local trends and needs, to network and share resources, and to work collaboratively to identify and fill gaps in the community.

Data gathered by the Webster Community for Success Council indicated that Webster had a higher rate of child abuse and neglect than surrounding communities. Data on abuse reports from three recent years showed that Webster was consistently in the top ten communities in the Commonwealth in substantiation rates of reported cases of abuse and neglect.  This was not acceptable to Council members who decided to take action.

After a presentation to the Council by Enough Abuse Director Jetta Bernier, it decided that the Enough Abuse Campaign was a viable approach for reaching and engaging many groups within the community to prevent child sexual abuse.

The Southern Worcester County Partnership to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse was formed, and co-led by Webster Community for Success Council and Pathways for Change, Inc. They convened an intensive 2-day Enough Abuse Campaign Training of Trainers and recruited 10 volunteers from local community organizations to participate including, Webster Adult Basic Education, Harrington Hospital, Department of Youth Services, Town of Webster Police Department, Bartlett High School, and Nichols College.

Since then, trainers have had opportunities to conduct their own trainings for a wide variety of groups including college security staff, medical personnel, government agencies, law enforcement, school district staff, and the public. The Southern Worcester County Partnership has worked diligently with key community members to emphasize that child sexual abuse is not inevitable; it can be prevented before children are hurt.

As Council member Leslie Baker stated:

“Knowing what behaviors are healthy and which are problematic means we, as parents, teachers, coaches, religious leaders and community members, can take action to keep our children safer. All of our trainers are passionate about giving people the knowledge and skills they need to say “ENOUGH!”

Another Example of the Impact of the Enough Abuse Campaign

Here is an example of how the work of the Coalition and Enough Abuse resulted in the identification, arrest and conviction of a community resident who had sexually abused many children over several decades.  This summary prepared by Enough Abuse Trainer Dave O’Regan

Background: David Kress of Thompson, MA was arrested after a 10-month investigation by State Police after it was reported to them by Dave O’Regan, an employee of Nichols College in Dudley, that Mr. Kress had admitted to him that he had abused at least a dozen boys 11-16 years of age over a 20-year period. Mr. O’Regan is a certified trainer for the South Worcester County Enough Abuse Campaign.  Mr. Kress was charged with 7 counts of statutory child rape, found guilty and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.

In an excerpted statement from Mr. O’Regan, he writes:

“This sexual predator fits the profile we all have learned from the Enough Abuse Campaign. He was loved by everyone he worked with and in his community, he was an elected official. This Boy Scout Leader was a sexual predator that not only groomed his victims, he groomed the community to gain trust and have access to children.

I am so glad to be a member of the Enough Abuse Campaign, gathering, planning, and reaching out to the community, helping to protect children from monsters​ like this ​in our midst.”

Another Example of the Impact of the Enough Abuse Campaign

Background:  Within weeks of certifying South Worcester County Enough Abuse Trainers, trainers/school employees at Bartlett Junior-Senior High School reported that 41-year-old school employee Jeffrey Flynn was engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 14-year old student. Flynn, the school’s music teacher, marching band director and assistant softball coach was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault, admitted the abuse to police but later entered a no guilty plea in Worcester Superior Court.

Mr. Flynn died nine months after his arrest and before his court case was resolved. He was an accomplished jazz guitarist, composer with a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. His obituary makes no mention of the cause of death or of his past affiliation at Bartlett Junior-Senior High School.

Southern Worcester County Resources