Why must prevention take priority to fight child sexual abuse and protect children?
Child sexual abuse is a pervasive and devastating problem, impacting millions of children globally and causing profound, lasting harm. While we recognise the vital roles of child education and law enforcement in protecting children, we also acknowledge that these efforts, while crucial, often come into play after abuse has already occurred. This reality sparked critical discussions within our project, 2PS (Prevent & Protect Through Support), about how we can make a more significant impact in truly preventing harm.
This is why we have launched this new video as part of the ‘Prevention is Child Protection’ campaign.
As the 2PS project, our core scope is to introduce a paradigm shift in how we collectively tackle child sexual abuse. We are driven by the understanding that a significant, yet often overlooked, opportunity exists:
child sexual abuse can be preventable.
Our video aims to clarify and reinforce this shared position, emphasising that prevention is a tangible, achievable and desirable goal to protect children. It highlights that abuse isn’t a singular phenomenon, but is driven by various factors.
By focusing on these underlying drivers, including those related to individuals with a sexual interest in children, we can implement proactive interventions. This means exploring options like counselling and therapeutic support, which can prevent abuse from ever happening in the first place, thereby safeguarding children from becoming victims.
The 2PS project, through this video and our broader campaign, seeks to spark discussion, engage a wider audience and demonstrate that proactive, evidence-based prevention strategies are highly effective in contributing to a holistic and systemic response to child protection.
This video is a tool to empower everyone to see that prevention is child protection, and together, we can build a safer world for all children.
