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Category: Child Sexual Abuse 

Mandated Reporters: Who are they and what is their role in reducing child abuse?

Anyone can report suspected child abuse or neglect, but if you are identified in the Code of Virginia (§ 63.2-1509) as a mandated reporter or you have received training in recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect – then you are a mandated reporter. Over the summer, we have trained mandated reporters everywhere from summer camps to childcare […]

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New Report on Connection Between Child Sexual Abuse, Women in Prison System

A new report from the Human Rights Projects for Girls and Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality calls for an overhaul of the U.S. criminal justice system “to identify and treat sexual abuse trauma that lies at the root of victimized girls’ arrests, particularly girls of color.” This summer, we’ve trained HUNDREDS of adults […]

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He Wrote It Down

This excellent post was shared most recently on the Darkness to Light blog (as well as Momastery’s Facebook page and originally appearing here), and it’s one that needs to be shared as many other places and with as many other people as possible:  My beautiful cousin, who I’d not seen in 35 years, and I […]

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Yes, It Happens Here. How Can We Protect Children from Human Trafficking?

Last year more than a quarter million children were involved in human trafficking across the United States. And it can happen to any child in any community. There are risk groups (such as children with mental health issues, gang involvement and runaways) but local experts have seen cases with children of all ages, genders and socioeconomic […]

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Understanding the offender: Who child predators are, and why it matters

Earlier this fall, 8 of our Darkness to Light Facilitators gathered for a discussion with Lisa Hunt, Executive Director of The Center for Clinical and Forensic Services, Inc.  Our facilitators gather quarterly to keep up to date on the issues surrounding child sexual abuse and to discuss topics that will help us be effective facilitators […]

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The Power of Words

WORDS (noun) /wərd / ~ a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning After watching the Matthew Sandusky and Oprah Winfrey interview (you can watch some of it here, along with thoughts from the D2L blog), it is clear that one […]

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Teens, Child Sexual Abuse and Taking Action

Many of us will roll our eyes or comment on how hard it was when we were teenagers, but can you fathom being a teenager now?  In an age where there are little to no expectations of privacy, where your personal information is readily available, and where the things you say or do can be […]

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Stewards of Children Milestones

On December 16, 2011, SCAN held its first Darkness to Light Stewards of Children Training.  Since that time, we have had thirty-four trainings. On Saturday June 1, we held our largest training yet, training 63 members of the Open Door Presbyterian Church in Herndon.  Statistics told church members that children within their own congregation were […]

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