As I try to look for more opportunities to speak about my second book on the topic of prevention of child sexual abuse, I am getting the feeling that many conferences do not really seem to want to have open discussions about the improvements we need to make in our systems to become more effective and proactive in prevention. I will, however, continue my efforts and keep focusing on the system issues.
In my book, Father Figure – My Mission To Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, I describe many of my experiences with the systems that, to me, clearly indicate needs for changes. Individuals working for these organizations are clearly hardworking and dedicated, but the prioritizations and procedures do not support a focus on prevention. Through my presentations I try to emphasize the view that we all must cultivate a “preventive mindset” that focuses on the fact that “prevention means doing something before it happens, not after”.
Many conference attendees agree that they too have experienced similar situations in many other parts of the country. It is clear that systems cannot change significantly without availability of additional funding. Maybe continued discussions on these issues will pave the way for additional funding or at least may lead to some reorganized priorities to focus more on prevention.