CDC Award Announcement
January 13, 2003

MASSACHUSETTS RECEIVES NATIONAL FUNDING FOR
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE PREVENTION

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that Massachusetts is one of three states selected to receive a $215,000 grant to pilot new initiatives aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. The Massachusetts Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership, a newly organized collaborative of statewide private and public agencies, will receive a $215,000 grant to identify and pilot innovative programs in three Massachusetts communities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will provide the funding, authorized by Congress in the fiscal 2002 budget. Funding is likely to be available for each of three years.

" The project will implement programs that foster the responsibilities and responses of adults and communities to prevent the perpetration of child sexual abuse,” said Jetta Bernier, Executive Director of Massachusetts Citizens for Children (MCC), lead agency for the effort. “This will broaden the public health response to the issue beyond previous efforts that have focused primarily on addressing the prevention of victimization through safety training programs aimed at children.”

The Partnership will compile an inventory of existing prevention programs and assist three selected communities in analyzing local data on sexual abuse. Community action plans will be developed and pilot programs implemented aimed at reducing adult and juvenile perpetration. Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), a key partner in the effort, will lead the evaluation of the piloted programs.

" Massachusetts Citizens for Children’s ability to use existing relationships to move the field toward preventing abuse perpetration makes them an essential partner as we expand our efforts to prevent child sexual abuse beyond traditional strategies.” said Sue Binder, M.D., Director, CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Following a rigorous review of applications, CDC experts ranked Massachusetts’ proposal first in the country. Prevent Child Abuse Georgia and Project Pathfinder in Minnesota were also selected.