Stop child sexual abuse through global education

Hello, all. This is, indeed, a very strange time for the world. We know that with the added stress of COVID-19 looming over us, Survivors (as well as all others) can feel an added sense of stress of being alone, coping alone, figure out alone. And children are at more risk due to the stress in families and the closure of schools and other normal activities. We at Stop the Silence® hope that we make lives that much easier by providing information, training, and support. Please take a little time to learn more about the risk of children during this time (see all the way at the bottom of this Report for additional resources).

While some of our normal onsite training and other activities have been curtailed due to the virus, we keep going! 

And, soon, we'll have some very, very exciting news on various fronts, one of them spelled out below about our upcoming, new online Masters, Diploma, and Certificate program. But there will be more to come in the way of a VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT at the end of the year about the partnership between Stop the Silence® and the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) - so stay tuned! 

Primary Activities this Past Quarter

1. The Stop the Silence® Facebook Page and Closed Group for Survivors 

Given the closed nature of the world at this point and the need of Survivors, we - with the incredible leadership and help of Ward Schline, our Coordinator of Stop the Silence® Social Media Outreach - have been focusing largely on reaching out with information and support to Survivors and those related in other ways to CSA (as parents, advocates, etc.). We have largely done this through our open Facebook page from, where anyone can access information and support, and our closed Facebook group for survivors and their very close supporters (for the closed group, people have to ask permission to join and have to note why they want to join, i.e., because they are a survivor or very close supporter). There are thousands of people from throughout the world accessing information and support on both the page and the group and interacting with each other for support and guidance.

On a daily basis, we provide important information about various related subjects, like Gaslighting and other forms of ambient abuse, and also respond to survivors' questions and needs - on both the page and the group. Another very good "go-to" place for  information, of course, is the information provided by CDC on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which we utilze on a regular basis.

2. Expanding our online education 

Stop the Silence® is working with Craig Hansen (soon to be Dr. Craig Hansen), a New Zealander who lives in Indonesia, to develop a Masters, Post-Graduate Diploma, and Post-Graduate Certificate Level Programmes in Child Trauma and Protection, Level 7. We are currently seeking approval for our programs' credentials from the University of Applied Research and Development, for the overview/ outline. The University notes about itself that "Our reputation for research and international outlook is second to none and reflected in our performance in the latest QS World University Rankings where we are ranked first in the world for development studies."

We are so lucky to have Craig working with us, helping us to organize and get approval for the curriculum for the hopefully soon-to-be virtual education on childhood trauma. Craig brings a global perspective to all his work - as coach, leader, educator, speaker, and entrepreneur. He has held leadership positions in government, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and has led innovative projects around the world, including those in India, Nepal, Indonesia, the US., and News Zealand. THANK YOU, CRAIG! 

Stay tuned for an announcement about the availability of different levels of achievement (Masters, Diploma, Certificate) that will be available through a new online platform for Stop the Silence. 

3. Applications, applications, applications

I imagine this is exactly... no one's favorite job (well, it's not mine :-)), but by or before the end of August we will have in an new multi-million application for funds to expand the Stop the Silence® model to Peru, Tajikistan, South Africa, and Indonesia in partnerships with our partners in those countries. Wish us luck!!

Keep safe, all. Keep well. Be kind. Help each other.

Additional Resources: The resources available online are vast and can be overwhelming. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the Resource Sharing Project are national leaders in providing support and resources to advocates and community-based responders. The leaders of the me too movement have published a toolkit for survivors with ideas for self-care. Perhaps the most important thing we can do during this time is to make special efforts to ensure we are reaching out and checking-in with survivors we know and work with, in addition to our colleagues who are trying to provide support and interventions for victims and survivors.

Thanks for reading!

Pamela J Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder and CEO, Stop the Silence®