A Child Advocate's Blog

An Open Letter to Massachusetts Citizens About the Penn State Scandal and How We Can Prevent Child Sexual Abuse in Our State November 14, 2011 While the Penn State child sex abuse scandal and cover-up grab national attention, the fact is that cases of child sexual abuse continue to be exposed with unrelenting regularity in every state and community across our country.  In Massachusetts alone just in the past six months, we have learned about the decades-long sexual abuse of boys treated by renowned pediatrician Dr. Melvin Levin of Children's Hospital, the revealed boyhood sexual abuse of Senator Scott Brown by a counselor at a Cape Cod summer camp, the sexual abuse of young female tennis players by former Massachusetts coach and International Tennis Hall of Famer Bob Hewitt. Many more current incidents of child sexual abuse involving less well-known abusers appear weekly in local newspapers all across our state.   Predictably, the Sandusky/Paterno case has prompted the media

Today marks the beginning of Child Abuse Prevention Month.  As the nation turns its attention to healthy child development and child abuse prevention over the next 30 days, we wanted to highlight four ways each of us can make a difference this month and throughout the year: Educate yourself and others on the issue of child abuse and neglect prevention. Our websites, www.masskids.org and www.enoughabuse.org have extensive information on the issues of Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma, child sexual abuse, and child poverty.  There you can learn about these forms of child abuse and neglect, why they exist, as well as concrete, actionable steps that you, and everyone, can take today to prevent child abuse and neglect in your community. Advocate for effective implementation of local healthy child development and child abuse prevention efforts.  Child abuse and neglect is a huge issue and it's easy for us to fall into the trap of complacency or hopelessness-- but tha