Wade Robson – Dancer, Choreographer, Child Sexual Abuse Survivor
Wade Robson shocked the world with his recent announcement that he was a victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of late pop icon Michael Jackson. Perhaps the most startling aspect of this statement was the fact that Robson vehemently supported Jackson during his 2005 molestation trial and after Jackson’s death in 2009 stated, “Michael Jackson changed the world and, more personally, my life forever. He is the reason I dance, the reason I make music, and one of the main reasons I believe …
What Would You Do?
Excerpt from the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center April newsletter WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD? WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO HELP KEEP CHILDREN SAFE FROM ABUSE? WILL YOU BELIEVE? You are at work and receive a call from your child’s after-school sitter informing you that your child came home from playing in the neighborhood, and disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted. What would you do? Your two children want to go to summer camp. You do research before sending them to …
Protecting Children Begins with YOU
As National Child Abuse Prevention Month draws to a close, Darkness to Light issues a call to action to all adults in our community. It is our collective responsibility to protect children from sexual abuse, and we can start by ensuring our local youth-serving organizations implement policies and procedures that support this endeavor. Many businesses are now taking comprehensive steps to better protect the children they serve. Churches, youth centers, recreational facilities, and education providers nationwide have joined the movement as D2L Partners in Prevention. …
This April, Go Social with CSA Prevention!
April is both National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. What better time to show your commitment to ending child sexual abuse (CSA)? Getting involved can be as simple as updating your social media statuses throughout the month with messages of awareness and prevention. Don’t know what to say? Here are some ideas: Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults occur to children under the age of 18. The good news is that we can prevent this. Learn the facts at …
Mandated Reporting: Positive Step? Yes. Solution? No.
The San Jose Mercury recently published an article about potential child sexual abuse (CSA) at the Lescher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California. The concept of CSA is disturbing in and of itself, but what is most upsetting about this story is the complete confusion of key personnel on how to respond to a history of alleged incidents and report them to the appropriate authorities. From the article: The community services director “told (a Walnut Creek police sergeant) he was completely unaware of …
Dear TODAY Show – No one wants to hear from Jerry Sandusky
This morning, the “TODAY Show” released audio recordings from telephone interviews between the incarcerated Jerry Sandusky and filmmaker John Ziegler. Early in his appearance on the show, Ziegler asserted, “Jerry Sandusky already had his day in court.” And yet, this morning, the world was forced to listen to him once more – as he laughed about “sex” in the shower and discussed the validity of testimonies and due process. From the beginning, long before I came to Darkness to Light, the testimony of Jerry Sandusky …
What’s in a Name? A Welcome to Pope Francis
Smoke was a big topic of conversation at Darkness to Light HQ yesterday afternoon: specifically, the color of the smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel. As gray smoke turned to white, the D2L team gathered together to watch Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina become the first Pope Francis. According to news sources, the name Francis is an interesting and possibly telling choice. St. Francis of Assisi is revered as a champion of the poor, one of the people – a man called to repair a …
No Such Thing as Luck
In the last 10 years, the issue of child sexual abuse has been thrust into the spotlight. From the Catholic Church scandal to the Penn State debacle, it’s become obvious that no child is free from the risk of harm. Moreover, in over 90% of sexual abuse cases, the abuser is a known and trusted family member or friend. This number, to me, is staggering. How can a person violate a trust that is so implicit, so sacred? Most people know that children should be …
Jolie Logan, President & CEO of Darkness to Light, reflects on 2012 and looks ahead to 2013 in this feature interview by The Post & Courier
Darkness to Light leader looks ahead after high-profile sex abuse cases By Jennifer Berry Hawes, The Post & Courier - posted Saturday January 5, 2013 Photo: (Brad Nettles/postandcourier.com) 12/31/12 Just weeks after Logan was named president and CEO of the child sexual abuse prevention group, a yearlong onslaught of headlines began to reveal everything from horrific locker room shower assaults at Penn State to porn and masturbation sessions with summer campers at The Citadel. And it didn’t stop with Sandusky and ReVille. Longtime BBC children’s television …
The whole story of child sexual abuse affects everyone
Jerry Sandusky’s recent verdict isn’t the whole story. Skip Reville’s sentencing isn’t the whole story. Horace Mann (“Prep School Predators,” June 6 New York Times) isn’t the whole story. Adam Sandler’s new movie, “That’s My Boy,” isn’t the whole story. The Catholic Church isn’t the whole story. These high-profile national stories may appear to create a perfect storm of child sexual abuse. But they are merely a “Foreword” in a much deeper, troubling saga of one of the most heinous crimes in our society. …
