You may be seeing more and more headlines in the news about child sexual abuse – allegations involving celebrities, church institutions, and sports organizations. Child sexual abuse happens everywhere and in every community. By creating prevention-oriented communities, we can help prevent and intervene in child sexual abuse.

First and foremost, reading and hearing about these cases can be triggering. If you are looking for help or want to talk, call 866-FOR-LIGHT or text LIGHT to 741741 and chat confidentially with a trained counselor 24/7.

What do you need to know about child sexual abuse as a concerned citizen? As a parent, how can you make interactions safer for your child? Below are some resources to help you learn more about how offenders manipulate their victims, how to report abuse, consequences of abuse, and statistics about the issue.