The National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Exploitation, a group of 30 major agencies and experts, has created a plan preventing the exploitation and abuse of children.
“The National Plan to Prevent the Sexual Exploitation of Children” focuses on addressing and preventing abuse by strengthening communities and facilitating reporting, as well as positive youth development.
Focus on stopping abuse before it begins can not only change lives, according to the Coalition. It can also save money. The plan cites a Minnesota report that shows that the costs of sexual violence, including crimes committed against children, are 3.3 times as much as the costs of alcohol-impaired driving in the state. The costs of sexual violence break down to $1,540 per resident; half of these result from child sexual abuse. The plan argues states agencies should devote resources to innovative programs to halt abuse before it begins.
Read more here.