Richmond, VA – Feb. 21, 2013 – Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) has achieved “Partner in Prevention,” a nationally-recognized public standard to end child sexual abuse (CSA). The designation was awarded for SCAN commitment to protecting children by training 100-percent of its staff and volunteers to how to prevent, recognize the signs and react responsibly to CSA. “Partner in Prevention” was created as a national standard to help parents and caregivers recognize organizations who take CSA prevention seriously by implementing policy and training staff. The training and designation award is provided by Charleston, SC-based Darkness to Light (D2L). D2L has championed the movement to end CSA since its founding in 2000 and now has education programs in 49 states and 15 foreign countries.
“Being a Partner in Prevention will let people know that we take prevention seriously,” Denise said. Eventually, Denise said, SCAN would like to lead efforts locally to encourage all childcare centers in the Greater Richmond area to become Partners in Prevention.
D2L’s training curriculum points out that CSA is pervasive in a society where it is repressed and not discussed. Thousands of organizations across the U.S. and Canada are now seeking out a dialogue for prevention and they are sending parents and the community a message with the Partner in Prevention distinction.
To learn more about CSA prevention training or to enroll your organization in D2L’s “Partner in Prevention” program, please visit www.d2l.org. Please also contact D2L Program Coordinator Erika Rowell at 842-965-5444.
About Child Sexual Abuse (CSA)
Crime and behavioral studies have long cited CSA for its devastating impact on society. Statistics are startling, according to the Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse & Neglect:
• 95% of abuse is by someone the child knows and trusts.
• 73% of children don’t tell anyone until well after the abuse has occurred, if they tell at all.
• Statistically, approximately 500,000 babies born in the U.S. each year will be sexually abused before they reach age 18.
• In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 42 million adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
• CSA is linked to a host of social issues including teen pregnancy, psychiatric disorders and substance abuse.
• CSA ranks second to murder as the most expensive victim crime in the U.S., where costs exceed $35 billion annually.
About Greater Richmond SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now)
SCAN’s mission is to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect throughout the Greater Richmond area by protecting children, promoting positive parenting, strengthening families and creating a community that values and cares for its children.
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