Turn the Talk: Until All Children Are Safe

An Evidence-inspired Program That Seeks To Equip Young People With The Tools To Address Child Sexual Abuse

By Chelsea McGonigle, Director of Prevention and Education

According to the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the percentage of victims of child sexual abuse (28.4%) in Maryland is significantly higher than the national average of 9%, with 64.8% of cases involving child sexual abuse at Child Advocacy Centers across the state. Such data compels us to respond to this epidemic through the lens of prevention using a comprehensive approach at multiple levels of the social ecological model. This model considers complex interplay between individual, relational, community, and societal factors. It also allows us to understand the range of factors that put people at risk for violence or protect them from experiencing or perpetrating violence. To have the greatest impact on child sexual abuse prevention, there is evidence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Change the conversation envisions a world where we all understand the innumerable impacts of child sexual abuse and are compelled to eliminate it.

That brief, one-session educational programs do not work to prevent perpetration, but rather repeated exposure through strategic programming is crucial to reinforce preventative efforts and create lasting impact. Turn the Talk is Change the Conversation’s evidence-inspired program that seeks to equip young people with the tools to address child sexual abuse. The goal of the program is to define child sexual abuse and discuss relevant laws, policies, and effects. Additionally, we teach children how to report child sexual abuse and minor sex trafficking, as well as how to investigate community resources and advocate for those who have experienced abuse.

Turn the Talk offers professional development to support continuing education efforts for staff and parent support trainings to equip caregivers with best practices for engaging with adolescents on sensitive subjects. All content meets Standard 1D: Safety and Violence Prevention as required by the Maryland Comprehensive Health Education Framework. In fact, our curriculum was created using the Framework as reference to ensure messaging remains compliant with COMAR 13A.04.18.

“We recognize the critical importance of connecting our educators, students, and families with community-based resources that will provide services that help educate, identify, or prevent child sexual abuse. Change the Conversation is a valuable resource to both our school system and our local community.”
— Carroll County Public Schools

In its year of implementation, Turn the Talk served 4,149 students across 152 classroom presentations in ten Carroll County Public Schools’ middle and high schools, with four unique middle school teachers and fifteen unique high school teachers. Additionally, five students received intervention support after disclosing child sexual abuse.

Furthermore, Turn the Talk provided 10 professional development trainings to teachers in Carroll County Public Schools, Harford County Public Schools, Baltimore City Public Schools, and Boys’ Latin School of Maryland. Topics included Child Sexual Abuse 101, Internet and Tech Safety for School-based Staff, Prevention Strategies in School-based Settings, Responding to Sexual Trauma, and Best Practices for Engaging with Adolescents on Sensitive Topics. Ninety percent of teachers found Turn the Talk’s materials, activities, and resources to be helpful, while 100% found the speaker to be knowledgeable about child sexual abuse and effective in delivery.

Turn the Talk broadened its reach during school year 2023–2024 by solidifying Memorandums of Understanding with Baltimore City Public Schools and Baltimore-based private schools, as well as expanding its previous curriculum to include Internet and Tech Safety, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Child Sexual Abuse and the Law, and Bystander Prevention and Intervention. The program served 6,949 students across 258 classroom presentations in Thirteen Carroll County Public Schools’ middle and high schools participated, with twenty-two unique teachers involved. When asked whether students learned something new as a result of Turn the Talk, ninety-six percent responded yes. The top ten topics students reported learning about included sextortion, internet and tech safety, coercion, reporting, age of consent, Maryland sex offender registry, signs of abuse, removing child sexual abuse material, and being a supportive friend. Two impactful student testimonies read: “Even boys get sexually abused,” and “Consent can be given and taken back.”

“The CAC has partnered with Change the Conversation on several occasions to educate adults on child sexual abuse prevention and know them to be a valuable resource to both our school system and our local community.”
— Child Advocacy Center, Frederick County

Surpassing our reach to students enrolled in health education by 62% was a great success, but our team vowed not to stop until we have engaged all communities in the prevention of and healing from child sexual abuse.

In our most recent school year, Turn the Talk expanded our school-based partnerships to include Frederick County Public Schools, Baltimore County Public Schools, and Harford County Public Schools, with a total of 395 classroom presentations scheduled across five districts and three independent schools.

We added professional development trainings on Youth Mental Health First Aid, Responding to Child Sexual Abuse in the Classroom, Trends in Child Sexual Abuse Response and Prevention, Preventing Abuse and Protecting Athletes, and Inclusive Responses to Child Sexual Abuse: Meeting the Needs of Those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Finally, we continue to not only support caregivers with the tools needed to help keep their children safe, but also empower them to continue using their best parenting tool — their relationship with their children.

As we continue to expand our impact, we ask that you consider partnering with us in our mission by implementing Turn the Talk in your school district or organization. Our team is ready to support your school community by providing professional development training or a modeled presentation of our student session. This ensures you are fully informed about the content delivered in classrooms, which is designed to deepen student understanding of the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships every child has a fundamental right to.

In addition to working directly with educators, we are also available to lead interactive student sessions that foster meaningful discussion and promote a safe learning environment. We can collaborate with school staff to tailor our presentations to meet specific needs and developmental stages.

Finally, we offer guidance and resources for caregivers, helping to extend learning and support beyond the classroom. Whether through workshops, Q&A sessions, or take-home materials, we are committed to equipping the entire school community to reinforce these vital messages.

Thank you for your united community response to ending child sexual abuse.