New Jersey's Response to Child Sexual Abuse, Rush Russell

1. Preventing Child Sexual Abuse:
A State Level Response
Rush Russell
Executive Director

2. • To reduce the incidence of
child abuse across the state
• To end child abuse in all of
its forms, for all of
New Jersey’s children
PCANJ Mission

3. NEW JERSEY STATISTICS
2012 Child Maltreatment by Types of Victims
9.5% of 10,019 cases = 950 cases of child sexual abuse
2%
10%
11%
77%
Medical Neglect
SEXUAL ABUSE
Physical Abuse
Neglect
US DOHHS, Administration for Children and Families, 2012

4. SOUTH CAROLINA STATISTICS
2012 Child Maltreatment by Types of Victims
5% of 13,766 cases = 684 cases of child sexual abuse
3%
57%
33%
5%
Medical Neglect
Neglect
Physical Abuse
SEXUAL ABUSE
US DOHHS, Administration for Children and Families, 2012

5. HOW OFTEN DOES CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE HAPPEN?
Adverse Childhood Experience Study:
1 in 4 women over age 18 => 1 million
women in NJ
1 in 6 men over age 18 => 750,000
men in NJ
Based on a 2014 U.S. Census

6. The Harm

7. 2010 POLICY PAPER:
Strengthening Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse in New Jersey
Top Recommendations:
1. Child sexual abuse: a significant public health problem
2. Adults and parents in New Jersey need to be better educated
3. Youth-serving organizations should play a major role
4. Steps need to be taken to improve data
5. Strengthen efforts to educate children about ways to protect
themselves
6. Counseling and treatment should be mandatory for juvenile
offenders
7. Law enforcement policies should allow flexibility, especially for
juvenile offenders.

9. Enough Abuse NJ Video

10. New Jersey Enough Abuse Campaign
• Convene the state leadership
and experts in the field
• Mobilize communities to
educate adults
• Develop new policies and practices

11. Enough Abuse Campaign NJ Sites
PEI Kids
Mercer County
The B.R.I.D.G.E Center
of Rutgers University Behavior Health Care
Middlesex County
Project Self Sufficiency
Warren & Sussex Counties
Committee of Missing &
Abused Children
Gloucester County

12. • Enough Abuse: Strategies for
Your Family and Community
• Understanding and Responding
to Sexual Behaviors of Children
• It’s Not Just Jenna
Enough Abuse Campaign:
Training Tools

13. Policy Priorities:
• Development of Safe Child
Standards
• Personal Space & Privacy
Campaign
Enough Abuse Campaign/ New Jersey Partnership
to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse

14. Personal Space & Privacy
Overall Goal:
• Engage pediatricians to prevent child
sexual abuse
Accomplishments:
• Conducted survey in 26 states
Next Steps:
• Develop “anticipatory guidance”
• Pass a resolution - American Academy
of Pediatrics

15. The Safe Child Standards:
Origin & Development
• #1 priority of NJ Partnership to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
• Based on international literature search
• Adapted for NJ based on Australian model
• Reviewed by youth serving organization CEOs,
attorneys & NJ-DCF
• Endorsed by NJ-DCF

16. Post a clear
and accessible
child-safe
policy
1.
The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles

17. The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles
Analyze the risk of
harm and minimize
that risk
2.

18. Develop codes of conduct for
adults and children
The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles
3.

19. Recruit and hire
suitable
employees and
volunteers
4.
The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles

20. Educate staff and
volunteers about
the risk of child
sexual abuse
5.
The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles

21. The Safe Child Standards:
Recommended Principles
Report and
respond
appropriately to
suspected abuse
6.

22. The Safe Child Standards
• Built into NJ-DCF contact language
• Conducted two webinars
– 186 Participants
• 90-Day follow-up survey

23. The Safe Child Standards: Survey Results

24. The Safe Child Standards: Survey Results

25. The Safe Child Standards: Survey Results
Comments from respondents:
“These standards are extremely helpful. We were already aware of many of the
standards- and actively work to educate staff- but the clear nature of the standards- and
the presentation have helped us to make sure we are meeting the highest level of safety
for our children.”
“It gives more formalized support to the screening done by personnel before hire, and to
the reasons for the annual reviews of child abuse and neglect regulations.”
“This was extremely useful. Our agency now has a specific policy statement regarding child sexual
abuse. Learning this information was also helpful when applying to grants that inquired about the
Safe Child Standards. This information will be crucial practice. The presenter was very informed and
the webinar was interactive.
“I believe they will be helpful in formalizing practices that we have already in place
informally, and expanding our practices.”

26. New Jersey’s Efforts
to Prevent Human Sex Trafficking
• 2013 Super Bowl highlighted awareness
• Emphasis on law enforcement
• Hurricane Sandy provided unique funding
• PCANJ Programs:
– Girls 12-18 years old in out-of-home settings
– Boys 12-21 years old in out-of-home settings
– My Life My Choice curriculum
– Empowering Young Men curriculum

27. www.preventchildabusenj.org
THANK YOU!