.. in institutions is needed. It needs to be done as soon as possible.
And I need YOU to help me.
I need someone, maybe more than one person, to draft a template, for a letter to the White House.
It has to clearly state that the USA is falling way behind many other countries, in terms of protecting children in institutions nationwide.
It has to make this clear:
Both Australia and the UK (Independent Inquiry into child sexual abuse in England and Wales, see here: www.csa-inquiry.independent.gov.uk/about-the-inquiry ) are currently investing large amounts of time and financial resources to research the best possible policies to protect children, across all institutions, religious and nonreligious.
They are working to expose the failures of various institutions, that have not reported child abuse, or have even covered it up..
Why are the United States of America not doing the same?!!
American children are subject to the same dangers, are they not?
Please note this point:
..However, several studies have been conducted that underscore the significance of child sexual abuse in other institutions.
For example, a comprehensive study was conducted a few years ago for the US Department of Education by Dr. Charol Shakshaft at Virginia Commonwealth and revealed that child abuse by public school teachers has been common with levels higher than those among Catholic priests. This research also demonstrated that school administrators, like Catholic officials, often moved offending teachers around to other schools and districts when accusations or suspicions arose creating opportunities for additional child abuse in multiple locations.
High profiles cases of child sexual abuse by coaches (such as at Penn State and Syracuse Universities) further illustrate that child sexual abuse occurs potentially where ever adults have access to and control over children.
Thus, sexual abuse of children is not confined to any one institution but can be found at remarkably high levels everywhere.
Research
The Catholic Church hired researchers from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice to conduct several large scale research studies to investigate the Nature and Scope and the Causes and Context of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
While there have been some large scale studies with other organizations such as the public school system no similar comprehensive large scale studies have been conducted with other organizations that provide services to children and youth. Therefore, we now know much more about clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church than about sexual abuse among any other organization in America or elsewhere.
Research is thus critically needed among other groups to better understand the nature, scope, causes, and context of institutionally based child abuse. Prevention programs can only be developed and adequately target at risk persons and situations if adequate research uncovers loopholes within these organizations.
Remarkably, we really don’t know what percentage of the population sexually violates children or exactly how many cases of child sexual victimation have occurred in other organizations beside the Catholic Church.
Research initiatives are desperately needed in order to determine exactly who sexually violates children within institutions servicing youth as well as the risk factors that contribute to this victimization.
So there you have it.
Both research into best practice (as we see in UK and Australia) as well as public inquiries into the potential failings of all institutions in America, are desperately needed.
Will YOU help me to tell the White House what needs to be done? (respectfully of course.)
If you are going to be a naysayer and put others off from even trying (there is always one or two that do this in any endeavour), please refrain from posting. ;)
First we need a template letter. I have never written to a politician, and I don't know about American laws or how to appeal to national pride and American values.. Plus I'm a barely passable writer.
Can somebody please post a template for a letter to the Whitehouse? [ it may be good to include a reference to all religions also being investigated, not only those with Sunday schools. Child abuse is not restricted to institutions with youth services. Look at the ARC and the Independent Inquiry, they are looking at ALL institutions..].
We can then start flooding them with our request for a USA public Inquiry into child sexual abuse, to help develop and enforce best practice for children in the future.
Australia and England and Wales are working together, exchanging information to help develop these policies..
Why can't the USA work along with them?
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse was established as a statutory inquiry on 12 March 2015 to consider the growing evidence of institutional failures to protect children from child sexual abuse, and to make recommendations to ensure the best possible protection for children in future.
As in Australia, Northern Ireland, Jersey and Scotland, the level of public concern has resulted in calls for an overarching inquiry to look at the big picture, to learn the lessons of the past, to take stock of child protection procedures that are currently in operation, and to set a new course for the future.
In conducting its work, the Inquiry is liaising with:
the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, with the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry, with the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland, and with the Scottish Inquiry into Historical Abuse of Children in Care.
Together the inquiries have much to learn from each other.
Once we have a rough template for a letter, this page can be used to contact them:
https://m.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Please keep us all posted on what happens, any response you get, even if you just decide to write your own letter and don't want to share the words you used..
Thank you :)