Stop child sexual abuse through global education

We at Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse, Inc. have been working VERY hard, AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONALLY... We know - 'cause we evaluate everything!

Now, YOU can seriously (SERIOUSLY!) make a HUGE difference with little input or effort... There is SO much to be done. We can tell you our story so far for 2016 with the list of accomplishments and pics below! Help us do more! 

GlobalGiving is offering a 50% match on donations made on #GivingTuesday, November 29th up to the first $1 million raised on GlobalGiving.org, made available courtesy of generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.This is the largest amount of matching funds GlobalGiving has ever had in one day and they will be matching more donations than ever before!

Please see below all of the Stop the Silence accomplishments in 2016 - locally, nationally, and internationally! And there is PLENTY more to come this coming year... Help us really make a huge difference in this coming year!!

HELP US EXPOSE AND STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, AND HELP SURVIVORS HEAL WORLDWIDE! Thank you for any HELP AT ANY LEVEL that you can give on November 29, 2016!! (I will send out a reminder next Monday, but please put this on your calendars!)

LOCALLY:

January-December 2016

Over the past year, and as a part of our Art as Advocacy and training areas of focus (see more, below), we have provided the film Flesh: Bought and Sold in the U.S., by independent filmmaker Kristin Ross Lauterbach, who co-wrote the film with Christina Storm and novelist Nicole McQuaid, about CSA and trafficking, and presenting to various members of the Prince George’s Co. School System (all school nurses, numerous teachers, and counselors and psychologists, respectively) through our association with the Human Trafficking Taskforce (Prince George’s County, MD Dept. of Family Services Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Supportive Services Division).

Our contacts are pushing forward our involvement with local colleges and universities. We have presented this past year at Prince George’s Community College. 

Other local focus includes providing information to hundreds (perhaps thousands) of others through university outreach (e.g., UMD, and various DC-based schools), houses of worship, community groups, etc. throughout the DC Metro area to educate and catalyze community responses.

As invited, we present to various government, non-profit, and corporate groups and reach out to local media, e.g., I-Heart Radio, local TV channels, etc. (see, too, below, CSA Survivor Force).

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH continues to write about CSA for publications and public information documents, as well as join others in policy change advocacy (e.g., re the Statutes of Limitations) and think about what needs to be done (e.g., what's next? what should be next? - what will continue to make a difference?). Our current focus is an expansion of various programs, including the Art as Advocacy, on-site and on-line training, and CSA Survivor Force work, as we gear up for an expansion of this aspect of our programming in Europe and elsewhere.

OTHER STATE/NATIONAL:

January-December 2016

The On-line CSA Training for Nannies, developed this past year, was tested, updated, and is in the process of being enhanced, and we expect to forward it with a major marketing effort to take place in or around January 2017. We also expect that the on-line program – which allows nannies to sit down, sign up, pay for, take the course, and receive a printed certificate to present to employers in a limited amount of time, all in one setting – will be required for all nannies who are a part of the Nanny League (our partner) and to be expanded internationally by mid-year. This will be a template or model for on-line training for other audiences (e.g., police, teachers, psychologists), as well – the reach is international given that it is online.

The Stop the Silence Art as Advocacy Program continued in 2016 with three performances of Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor written, directed, produced, and performed by Michael Broussard in Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as showing the Scottish-born film To Kill A Kelpie, written by Matthew McVarish, directed by Edward M. Smith, and acted by Matthew McVarish and Alan Lindsay.

April 2016

Survivors Healing Center of the Family Service Agency of the Central Coast in CA collaborated with Stop the Silence to hold the 10^th annual Walk to Stop the Silence, that included informational outreach throughout Santa Crux Co., CA through mass media and on-the-ground dissemination activities, reaching at least tens of thousands of people, is held each year, overseen and conducted by Survivors Healing Center of the  Family Service Agency of the Central Coast, serving Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties in collaboration with Stop the Silence.

June-December 2016

Stop the Silence® (www.stopthesilence.org) and the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (NAASCA, www.naasca.org) have joined in a partnership toward the development of a “Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Survivor Force”– an initial and then expanded and expanding (locally, regionally, nationally, internationally) group of adult survivors who are coming together to present information about child sexual abuse (CSA) to the media in all regions of the U.S. and then elsewhere. The full Mission of the CSA Survivor Force is to provide factual information about CSA in a gripping manner to all forms of mass media to inform and educate large populations, reduce stigma, and affect change in individual and societal behaviors, policies and procedures across the U.S. and the world. Check out the full information - and find out who you can contact who is currently representing your state, area or region - at either one of these web locations: https://stopthesilence.org/csa-survivor-force/ and http://naasca.org/StopTheSilence/ The Force is expanding in 2017 to all 50 states - and foreign countries!

August-December 2016

At the 21^st Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT), we met with various researchers, advocates, and practitioners to provide information to these communities about the work that Stop the Silence does (e.g., Art as Advocacy, media/educational outreach, training). Stop the Silence members formally presented two presentations at this Conference (met with high acclaim). We include information about our original activity/objective/goal tracking and measuring program that is continuing to be refined by Bill Mathis (Board member, Stop the Silence, and of CPIC Solutions – the Program is named Amplify).

INTERNATIONAL:

January-December 2016

As a result of the training that Stop the Silence did in December 2014 in Cyprus with the Ministry of Education and Culture the Ministry, we have continued to share information and assist the Ministry to reach out to its administrators, teachers, counselors and psychologists and others with information. In the past year, Ministry and associated personnel completed two other trainings for teachers (having previously sent a note to responsible parties at the Ministry to ensure that the schools provide acircular obligating everyone who works in schools to get a certification from the Police that they are not offenders). We also have provided other, policy-related information so that Cyprus can continue to focus on enhancing their response. Stop the Silence professionals have been invited back in January of 2017 to provide a training for all school counselors and psychologists, to meet with Ministry staff about the development of a country-wide advocacy / awareness campaign, and meet, too, with Ministry of Health staff. This model is now being shared with others in other countries. Other countries may participate in the January training. We expect to be able to offer the work done in Cyprus as a model to others.

June 2016

The Child Aid Organization in Nairobi collaborated with Stop the Silence to hold the first annual Race to Stop the Silence/ Kenya, that included informational outreach throughout speakers and information dissemination.

July 2016

In July 2016, Pamela Pine was the Key Note Speaker on a panel at the Parliament in London. Other speakers included Parliamentary members, representatives of the police force, social services, students and others. In attendance were other members of the Parliament as well as representatives of police, social services, student groups and the public. A question-answer period and round table discussion followed. Follow-on multi-level programming is expected.

September 2016

Pamela Pine traveled to South Africa to attend the 21^st Annual International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa. In addition to attending sessions on HIV, she met with representatives of non-profit groups working on CSA, with which Stop the Silence will be collaborating in the future.

November 2016

Pamela Pine was a key speaker at the Hear Our Voice Justice for Children’s Live Survivors Conference Dundee:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3wDmfwJY6A

ONGOING PLANS:

November–Dec. 2016 expected activities

Other activities are planned for the final quarter of 2016 and first quarter 2017, e.g., expansion on the local, national and international levels of our Arts as Advocacy, CSA Survivor Force, and other programs; development of three to five symposiums; training of all school counselors and psychologists in Cyprus; local, national and international media outreach; finalization of on-line nanny training program and testing and expansion to other audiences; and MORE! AND, we are exploring a Stop the Silence headquarters placement on a piece of land in Southern Maryland so that we can conduct onsite training, art as advocacy, and retreats and healing programs!

HELP US EXPOSE AND STOP CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, AND HELP SURVIVORS HEAL WORLDWIDE! Thank you for any help you can give on November 29, 2016!!

During a break in our training, just the other day, during a symposium for about 250 school nurses (mandated training - yay! that is what is needed across counties, states, and nations!) from Prince George's County, Maryland, a woman approached me, and, in whispers and tears, said: "My two children were sexually abused when they were very small. They are grown. I can see the affects to this day." We talked. I promised to send some more information. 

Others, during the course of the program, noted similar stories one-on-one (with sorrow and sobs), and others asked questions about what to tell and share with the children to prevent this awful act and aftermath, and what to do "if...". I provided books, articles, information and promised more to come. We move forward. More. Again.

I understood, and expressed my understanding with hugs and nods, as I have now for over 16 years. 

Stop the Silence continues its creativeawareness-raising, education, training and policy work using film, music and other means to raise awareness, increase understanding, and propel forward action - on local, national, and international scales. And then, use this information to push forward change on the individual, community, policy and societal levels. The above program utilized the film "Flesh: Bought & Sold in the U.S.," a film by Kristin R. Lauterbach, which offers a stark look at the realities of child sexual abuse and trafficking, providing first-hand testimony from those trafficked, pimps, and policymakers trying to do something about this multi-billion dollar "industry" creating unbelievable havoc for the children, adult survivors, and society as a whole.  

We are currently heavily focused on making contributions on the international level with our international partners. The U.S. has much, much, much to do, but the changes that we have seen over the past 15 years put it in sort of the category of a "middle provider" (like a "middle income" country) of CSA focus and services. There is growing awareness, growing numbers of organizations working on various fronts, and demands in change that were not in place 15 years ago. Other countries have barely made a dent in awareness, prevention, or healing. And it is time! It is more than time!

We are very exciting to report in about this past Summer and the upcoming Fall program's "spring" - lots going on and coming up, as we report below:

• I was the guest speaker on a panel in the House of Commons in London, hosted by my colleague and friend, Linda Lawrence, Founder and Director, Kids Count, located in London (see pics below). More collaboration with the UK is planned, toward policy and other changes.
• Then, I was off to South Africa, where I was part of the 21st Annual International AIDS Conference in Durban, and, while there for a focus on HIV and AIDS, discussed the issue, too, of CSA (which, obviously, has a close association with CSA). We are talking with a group in South Africa about collaboration!
• August brought me to Botswana through my association with another organization, and, while there, I moved forward the importance of including a focus on CSA in HIV work that is done.
• This past month brought a new invitation/ confirmation of our involvement in training in Cyprus for all school counselors and psychologists, in January, 2017.
• We are also in touch with colleagues in Hungary who have made incredible strides and who are interested in collaborating with us to help make more change there.
• We continue to focus on building programming in Kenya with our partner Tom, Omwenga, Execuative Director, Child Aid Organization Kenya.  
• Other discussions continue with France, Germany, and elsewhere. We hope we can use the great work of Cyprus as a model!
• I am a speaker at the upcoming Hear Our Voice-Survivors of Abuse Conference, Scotland, Nov. 2_2016

Upcoming focus internationally for this next quarter will be on further developing relationships with our international partners for awareness, prevention and healing programming. 

The biggest news on the national front is that we are moving forward with: 

- Stop the Silence online Nanny Training in collaboration with the Nanny League (www.nannyleague.com), which needed some more bells and whistles before it was ready for prime time. That took a little fundraising, and we have the funds to now update the program! Once updated, we can expand the training to other nannies and other service groups nationally and internationally. Lindsay Thomason, President of the Nanny League, gave me goosebumps when she had written: "I am SO grateful for you and all that you do. You are a true pioneer and I am so very thankful that you took my call over three years ago. It has impacted my life in such a tremendous way, and I only hope that I've made some kind of an impression on yours. I am forever committed to this cause and I'm very excited for what's to come. I believe, wholeheartedly, that this partnership was meant to be. YOU deserve all the credit on behalf of so many survivors, including me, for making this all possible. It took me a very long time to find my voice but I won't stop talking about Stop The Silence! I am SO very proud to be a part of this organization." 

Below and attached provides some more specific information about the Stop the Silence training, which is always fully adaptable for the needs of the audience and something that we do routinely through a really easy-to-apply assessment: