I had a couple of excellent speaking sessions at the IVAT (Institute on Violence Abuse and Trauma) conference in San Diego this week. I was especially excited about my presentation on Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse because, for a change, the audience included a number of professionals who clearly understood the issues involved and agreed whole-heartedly as I talked about the changes we need to truly focus on prevention. Many of them expressed frustrations they have experienced in their efforts.
I have spoken about prevention of child sexual abuse (based on my second book) on a number of occasions, but the audiences do not always appreciate the gravity of the situation. But at IVAT it seemed like almost everyone in the audience was fully aware of the issues. That led to a number of interesting discussions all throughout my presentation. This has been one of the best experiences I have had while presenting about “Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse”.
My next major presentation will be at the Children’s Network Conference in Ontario, CA in late September. I will expect a very similar audience at that conference with lively discussions about the relevant issues.