What Does Child Abuse Have to Do with Your Fundraising Program?

One out of ten children will be sexually abused by the age of 18 in the US. What does that have to do with nonprofit management or fundraising? Absolutely nothing. So, why am I mentioning it?

I’m sharing that alarming statistic with you as part of a continuing tradition here at Michael Rosen Says… Each April, I devote a blog post recognizing National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Once again, I’m using this space to highlight a serious issue and share tips for protecting children.

Child sex abuse is a horrible crime. You already know that. However, do you know that sex abuse survivors continue to feel the effect for years? Here are just some of the terrible consequences, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

Experiencing child sexual abuse is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that can affect how a person thinks, acts, and feels over a lifetime, resulting in short- and long-term physical and mental/emotional health consequences.

Examples of physical health consequences include:

• unwanted/unplanned pregnancies
• physical injuries
• chronic conditions later in life, such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer

Examples of mental health consequences include:

• depression
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Examples of behavioral consequences include:

• substance abuse including opioid use
• risky sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners
• increased risk for suicide or suicide attempts

Another outcome commonly associated with child sexual abuse is an increased risk of re-victimization throughout a person’s life. For example, recent studies have found:

• Females exposed to child sexual abuse are at a 2-13 times increased risk of sexual victimization in adulthood
• Individuals who experienced child sexual abuse are at twice the risk for non-sexual intimate partner violence

The odds of attempting suicide are six times higher for men and nine times higher for women with a history of child sexual abuse than those without a history of child sexual abuse.”

Sex abuse affects children of every race, income level, religion, and region. In 91 percent of the cases of child sex abuse, the child or the child’s family knows the perpetrator. That means teaching children about “stranger danger” is not enough to keep them safe.

Fortunately, organizations exist that can educate us about what we can do to protect children and what we can teach them so they can protect themselves. One such nonprofit organization is the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, which brings justice and healing to children who have been sexually abused. PCA is one of my favorite charities, and I’m honored to have served on its board.

PCA recently stated:

It’s never too early to start talking to children about consent. Kids need to be empowered with the knowledge that THEY are the BOSS of their BODY and the importance of TELLING if someone violates their personal boundaries.”

Because teaching boundaries is so important, PCA shared a two-minute video that it believes does a good job of explaining bodily autonomy and consent to kids of all ages. You can watch it here:

PCA and other childcare professionals understand that it is essential to respect each child’s personal space. PCA explains:

Free Help to Protect Children During a Crisis

Almost every April, I devote one blog post to stopping child sexual abuse. It’s a significant departure from the nonprofit and fundraising topics I typically write about. So, let me tell you why I do it.

First, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and I want to support that initiative.

Second, many years ago, I served on a jury that heard a child sex abuse case involving a little boy and his step-grandfather. I’ll spare you the horrifying, nightmarish details. Suffice it to say, we found the step-grandfather guilty. When my jury service was completed, what I had heard continued to haunt me.

Before the trial, I assumed that child molesters and rapists were either priests or trench-coat wearing guys in vans. I also believed that incidents of such abuse were relatively rare. The news media coverage at the time would lead most people to a similar belief. However, during the trial, I learned differently:

• 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before turning 18;
• 1 in 7 girls, and 1 in 25 boys are sexually abused before turning 18;
• 20 percent of sexually abused children are under age 8;
• 90 percent of children know their abuser (in other words, the abuser is not a stranger);
• 50 percent of sexually abused children under the age of 6 were abused by a family member (the younger the child the more likely the abuser is a member of the family).

As I continued to process my jury experience, I researched the organizations that were addressing the issue. As a result, I became closely involved with the work of the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance, a regional child advocacy center. PCA does fantastic work bringing justice and healing to sexually abused children.

I also became acquainted with Darkness to Light^®, which provides superb training programs and funds scholarly research related to the issue of child sexual abuse. Now, I want to make you aware of one particular FREE, 30-minute online training that D2L is offering: Protecting Children During a Crisis.

As the D2L website says:

What to Do If You Suspect Child Sex Abuse

At some point in your life, you might encounter someone you suspect of child sex abuse. Sadly, it’s not that much of a long-shot. One-in-four girls and one-in-six boys are sexually abused in the USA. It’s a horrible and relatively common crime.

So, what should you do if you suspect someone of child sex abuse?

Before I answer my own question, let me answer a question you might be asking: Why is a fundraising blog talking about child sex abuse?

Well, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. To mark the occasion every year, I devote one blog post that will help you protect your loved ones and others from a nightmare crime. Fortunately, we can do something about this national tragedy. First, we need to educate ourselves about the problem. Then, we need to understand what action to take.

Because I’m not a lawyer, a member of law enforcement, a social worker, or a child-welfare worker, I contacted an expert to help me understand what we should do if we ever suspect an individual of child sex abuse.

First, in certain jurisdictions, you may have a legal obligation to report your suspicions if you hold a particular job such as teacher or healthcare professional. Furthermore, your organization might have reporting requirements as part of its employee policies. So, be sure to know the legal and policy obligations that come with your job.

Second, even if you’re not required by law or policy to report suspicions of child sex abuse, you are most definitely morally obligated to do so. Children are largely defenseless. It’s up to adults, any adult, to provide protection when needed.

Unfortunately, protecting children is sometimes easier said than done. For example, you may have a vague gut-feeling that a teacher is up to no good. But, with no evidence or even a concrete suspicion involving a particular child, it’s doubtful the authorities would do anything with a report.

However, if you do suspect that an adult is sexually abusing a particular child, particularly if you have any evidence (e.g., you’ve witnessed the adult taking the child away to a private room), then you need to take immediate action.

When you have a valid suspicion, contact your local police department, local child protective services agency, or your local child advocacy center (an independent social service agency). Or, better yet, contact them all.