Child sexual abuse is preventable, according to experts gathered in Detroit this week. More education, resources, and early intervention are needed to stop harm before it happens. The message comes as the city hosts the 45th annual conference of the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse, known as ATSA.
Dr. Elizabeth Letourneau, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is among the experts sharing insights. She emphasized that a significant barrier to prevention is the misconception that people who sexually abuse children are ‘monsters’ who are impossible to identify or stop. Instead, Letourneau noted, most individuals who commit such acts are people known to the children they harm, often family members, coaches, teachers, or neighbors.
Letourneau stated there are "many off-ramps" and numerous proven prevention strategies that can interrupt the pathway to abuse. These strategies include school-based programs that teach children about consent, boundaries, and appropriate relationships. She also highlighted the importance of educating middle school students on why younger children are not, and will never be, appropriate sexual partners. Adolescents, she explained, may not fully understand boundaries or consent rules, leading to significant harm. Letourneau specifically mentioned teenagers using 'Nudify' apps, saying they need education.
Parents also play a crucial role, Letourneau advised. They can begin prevention conversations early by using correct names for body parts and fostering an environment where children feel safe discussing any concerns with trusted adults. This clear language helps children articulate inappropriate experiences and assists adults in understanding disclosures. If a child discloses abuse, parents should ask direct questions calmly, avoiding any reaction that might make the child feel responsible. Letourneau also cautioned against immediate punishment, such as taking away a child’s phone, if they report accessing an inappropriate website, stressing the importance of maintaining an open and safe line of communication.
Technology companies, too, have a part in prevention. Letourneau suggested they display warning messages and direct users to help when searches for child sexual abuse material occur across various platforms. She also voiced concern over artificial intelligence models that have incorporated known child sexual abuse material, calling its presence "insane" and emphasizing its urgent removal. For individuals concerned about their own sexual attractions or behaviors, Letourneau's team launched 'Help Wanted' in 2020. This free online prevention program assists people with a sexual attraction to children who are seeking help to prevent offending. The program has been visited nearly two million times and has seen tens of thousands access its prevention modules globally.
Despite the scope of the issue, Letourneau pointed out that the federal government allocates only $3 million annually to child sexual abuse prevention research through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She deems this funding insufficient for a problem that affects one in five U.S. children. While emphasizing prevention, Letourneau also acknowledged that accountability is necessary for individuals who pose an ongoing danger, citing examples like Larry Nassar, Jerry Sandusky, and Jeffrey Epstein who deserve "very… long-term lifetime consequences."
Also speaking in Detroit was Elizabeth Clements, founder and executive director of Hidden Water. Clements highlighted that when a child is harmed, "every single person in the family is impacted." Her organization uses restorative justice to address the impact of child sexual abuse within families, working with all family members involved: those who were harmed, those who caused harm but are no longer deemed a risk, non-offending parents, siblings, and partners. Clements noted that families often struggle with how to respond to disclosures, and their reactions can further isolate the harmed individual.
She stressed the need to educate family systems, teaching each person their role in being a positive influence or potentially causing more damage. The goal is to equip families with tools to recognize boundary crossings and intervene early, especially since "most harm happens inside the house." Clements advised adults against immediately trying to verify a child’s disclosure or interrogating them, stating that "it’s not a fact-finding mission when you’re holding a disclosure." Instead, disclosures often happen in fragments as a child shares small bits of information to observe an adult’s response. Her recommendation: listen, stay calm, and assure the child they are believed and supported, while also seeking professional help.
The Detroit conference takes place as Michigan continues to grapple with its process for tracking people convicted of sex offenses. Following a Michigan Supreme Court ruling, more than 20,000 individuals, including former Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar, were removed from the state’s sex offender registry. Nassar remains in prison.
