We Are Changing the Conversation on Child Sexual Abuse
Contact Name: Email:
Phone: Website:
Katie Cashman, Executive Director
katie@cthec.org
410-259-0940
www.changetheconversation.org
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- No More Stolen Childhoods, a nonprofit working to prevent child sexual abuse, is changing its name to Change the Conversation starting April 2023.
- Child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem and an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Child sexual abuse refers to the involvement of a child (person less than 18 years old) in sexual activity that violates the laws or social taboos of society and that he/she:
- does not fully comprehend,
- does not consent to or is unable to give informed consent to, or
- is not developmentally prepared for and cannot give consent to
- About 90% of children who are victims of child sexual abuse know their abuser. Abusers can be trusted neighbors, friends, and family members.
“We talk about child sexual abuse every day to inform and empower others—parents, teachers, students, care providers, and those impacted by abuse—to discuss a problem that is so hidden, yet so prevalent. The fact is that while child abuse is pervasive, it is also preventable. These conversations don’t have to be so hard, and for the good of children and families, they can’t be,” shared Katie Cashman, Executive Director of a small nonprofit engaged in this challenging work.
In recognition of the need to discuss child sexual abuse in a different way, the nonprofit is changing its name from No More Stolen Childhoods to Change the Conversation. “Yes, the name change is quite literal,” Cashman noted. The organization will start using its new name officially in April 2023.
The new branding conveys the agency’s mission and commitment to engage all communities in the prevention and healing from child sexual abuse, and to think differently about how that is done.
Recent news reports concerning local educators and the Baltimore Archdiocese report highlight the problem as prolonged and persistent: 1 in 10 children experience child sexual abuse according to current national data. “But we really need to and are working hard on moving beyond shock and anger to prevention and intervention.”
Change the Conversation provides: prevention and recovery training for parents, caregivers, professionals, and mandated reporters; an innovative Turn the Talk prevention program for middle and high school students; internet safety tools and resources; and access to therapy for those impacted by child sexual abuse through their Counseling Assistance Program.
Background:
Established in 2004, the agency’s founder was himself a survivor of child sexual abuse. He wrote a book, No More Stolen Childhoods, about his experience and worked for many years to create awareness and implement advocacy activities around child sexual abuse. Under Cashman’s leadership since 2021, Change the Conversation developed its first strategic plan, and shifted the agency’s focus to address prevention and access to care.
CtC is comprised of experienced staff, several consultants, and a committed Board of Directors. The Board’s passion for this challenging issue comes from personal concern for and/or connection to those impacted by child sexual abuse, and the strong desire to prevent it.