Blog

In 2018, US Champion Gymnast and Advocate Aly Raisman partnered with Darkness to Light to provide immediate support to the gymnastics community and to begin work on a comprehensive program to help young athletes everywhere participate in a safe and abuse-free environment. Together, we launched the Flip the Switch Campaign calling on all adults involved …

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In this Honest Conversation, President and CEO Katelyn Brewer sat down with three experts in the field of commercial sexual exploitation of children to discuss the truth about child sex trafficking, especially in the digital world. These experts include Sarah Cooper, Nicole Epps, and Eliza Reock. Cooper is a survivor and advocate for children; after …

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Schools can play a vital role in student safety and should continue to play this role for remote students. Schools provide important education for children and a space for them to discover who they are and form friendships. Schools also serve as a safe haven for some children. 30% of children who are sexually abused …

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Human trafficking affects the most vulnerable in our society: children. No matter where you live, chances are child sex trafficking is happening nearby. Learn to protect kids from trafficking today!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in reports of the online exploitation of children. Trafficking is happening everywhere: not just in developing countries, but also in first world nations and especially online. Last year saw changes in child abuse reporting rates and trafficking reporting rates that show an increase in the …

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This year has brought changes and challenges no one could have anticipated. However, the movement to protect kids in 2020 did not slow down. We pivoted and continued to provide vital resources and education to communities around the world. As we reflect on 2020 (can you believe it’s almost 2021?!?), we continue to be overwhelmed …

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In Honest Conversations episode 6, we sat down with three passionate advocates to discuss protecting Orthodox Jewish kids from abuse. Watch the full conversation below.  The issues facing the Jewish community aren’t unique—just watch our previous conversations about the stigmas and challenges in Hispanic and Black communities. It’s clear that community leadership is key when …

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This week we sat down with Rosa Beltré to discuss the nuances and best practices of supporting Hispanic survivors of child sexual abuse. Rosa serves as the Executive Director of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, a state-wide coalition that advocates for comprehensive responses and rape crisis services for survivors and empowers communities to …

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Ricardo DeLeon shares his insight into factors that can make Hispanic children vulnerable and how we can address them. I grew up in a mostly Hispanic and Black neighborhood in Corpus Christi, Texas. Spanish was my first language, although being the youngest of six kids, I learned English pretty quickly from my siblings. They would …

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This week we chatted with Perla Freed, the Executive Director for the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, to discuss what advocating for child sexual abuse prevention might look like in Hispanic communities. Perla is an expert in the development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices to create and sustain a safe environment for children. …

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As an immigrant and survivor, I know there is stigma that surrounds sexual abuse; the perspective in Hispanic communities is that we do not share our pain or talk about uncomfortable topics. Even now that I have disclosed what happened to me, I have always felt like the topic wants to be forgotten. In recent …

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As the fall season begins, school does too. Things are a little different this year – some schools will have much smaller class sizes, some will be holding classes on alternating days, some will teach totally virtual courses, some a hybrid of both, and some parents have opted to adapt to homeschooling (or a version …

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What does it look like to develop a culture of abuse safety in Black communities? That’s the question that Ashley Cook and Kevin McNeil worked to answer in our latest episode of Honest Conversations. Ashley and Kevin are survivors of child sexual abuse (and Darkness to Light Authorized Facilitators), and have firsthand experience navigating the …

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As a result of COVID-19, we’ve all had to make some lifestyle changes. Businesses have had to adapt, too. There are lots of precautions that businesses, organizations, and doctor’s offices have taken to ensure safety from the virus, but sometimes those precautions don’t include child protection behaviors or abuse prevention. One key element of prevention …

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Learn the facts and be prepared to help to raise awareness and prevent daycare abuse. At Darkness to Light, we are often asked about daycare abuse statistics. Daycare centers can be vital to working parents or parents who need help with child care. Kids start to learn important life skills including social skills at daycare. …

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In this edition of “Honest Conversations,” our Director of Partnerships, Ashley Davis, spoke with advocate and facilitator Kevin McNeil about breaking the stigma around child sexual abuse in Black communities. Ashley and Kevin share a similar life experience: they both know what it’s like to experience sexual abuse in Black communities. They have experienced both …

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Summer is almost halfway through (can you believe it?!) and your summertime fun has almost certainly looked different this year. How do you ensure your kids have a safe summer? You may have had to change your routine, planned activities, and maybe even your finances as a result of safety precautions. We’re all navigating this …

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As we set out to celebrate our 20th year, we could never have guessed the challenges we would face as an organization, a child protection community, and citizens of the world. Still, our momentum has only continued to grow as we strive toward our original vision: a world free of child sexual abuse. As we …

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Survivors of Child Abuse and National Leaders Call on Congress for COVID-19 Relief Bi-partisan support and funding can help protect children from abuse. June 25, 2020 – Child abuse advocates along with national, state, and local organizations ask Congress for at least $300 million in emergency funding to strengthen child safety and protection programs in …

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