#WeRideTogether works to eliminate sexual misconduct across all sports via prevention education and awareness. In addition to providing educational presentations, resources, and services, #WeRideTogether collaborates with like-minded organizations and engages in advocacy efforts on a larger scale.
Most recently, #WeRideTogether, in partnership with Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse | Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has participated in signing on to a Dear Colleague Letter that will be used to advocate for increased funding for the CDC Injury Center’s Division of Violence Prevention to research child sexual abuse prevention.
Increasing child sexual abuse prevention funding is paramount to halting child sexual abuse. The U.S. government only began funding child sexual abuse prevention research in 2020. In 2021, Moore Center-led research found that “the U.S. spends $5.4 billion annually to incarcerate adults convicted of child sexual abuse, more than 3,000 times what the Federal government budgeted in 2021 to support research to prevent child sexual abuse.”
RAINN notes that “out of every 1000 sexual assaults, 975 perpetrators will walk free.” We know that in 2018, the total economic burden of child sexual abuse, including costs associated with health care, productivity losses, child welfare, violence and crime, special education, and suicide was $9.3 billion.
According to Parents Against Child Sexual Abuse, 95% of child sexual abuse is preventable through education. This data clearly shows while we still must have investigation and incarceration funding to combat sexual assault, our focus financially and otherwise should be on prevention.
This model has already been proven with preventative medicine. We do not control the behavior of others, but we can all contribute to preventative best practices that work to create safe and healthy environments for our children. Through education, awareness, and decreasing stigma we can work together to prevent child sexual abuse.
Join us in spreading the word on focusing on prevention and increasing federal funding for prevention research so we can better serve our youth and our athletes.
Kathryn McClain, MSW, MBA
Program and Partnerships Director at #WeRideTogether
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