Sets a goal of training 5% of Delaware’s adults to serve as proof of concept for nation
Washington, D.C. (May 6, 2016)— Darkness to Light (D2L), a leading organization in the fight to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, announced a partnership with the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. The groups intend to “programmatize” a sophisticated education model in the state of Delaware that will serve as a national blueprint; dramatically advancing progress in the fight against the sexual assault of children. Child sexual abuse is the most prevalent health issue faced by America’s children, and is directly linked to other social ills, including increased likelihood to abuse drugs or alcohol, to drop out of school, or to face other long-term issues in adulthood. To date, D2L has trained more than 1 million adults through its Stewards of Children® program. As part of the initiative announced today, a program will be launched to train the adult population in the state of Delaware on child abuse prevention, detection and intervention. Using proven evidenceinformed adult prevention training created by D2L, the Beau Biden Foundation will fund training across the state with the goal of reaching at least five percent of Delaware’s 700,000 adults. The two organizations intend to create a proven blueprint for the nation that embraces Malcom Gladwell’s “tipping point” concept. “We’ve seen evidence that when a mere five percent of adults are in a community are trained on an issue, a tipping point occurs where the movement takes on a life of its own,” said D2L CEO Dr. Lyndon Haviland. “A widespread movement means increased social awareness and intervention; dramatically lowering the risk of predatory acts upon children and increasing the likelihood of early detection in instances of assault. Our partnership with the Beau Biden Foundation in Delaware is an important first step to scaling our leading education programs to reach and protect millions.” During the announcement, representatives from the Beau Biden Foundation highlighted D2L’s proven track record and its ability to connect activities to impact as a key factor in their decision to partner with the organization. “My brother dedicated his professional life to keeping Delaware’s children safe from abuse and neglect,” Hunter Biden said. “From the day he brought Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children to Delaware, he knew it would change the way we talk about the scourge of child sexual abuse. He would be so proud to know the Foundation that bears his name continues this partnership.” With today’s announcement, Delaware is on track to become the first state in the country to train at least five percent of its adults on the issue. Commending the Beau Biden Foundation for its commitment to this cause, Haviland added: “For more than 15 years, D2L has been working with schools, government, law enforcement and local communities to prevent child sexual abuse in the United States. Under the leadership of Attorney General Biden, his partners, Prevent Child Abuse Delaware and the YMCA of Delaware, 17,000 adults were trained in a few short years. By continuing this partnership, the Foundation is taking a courageous step to take action against an issue that steals the innocence of one in ten of our nation’s precious children. It is our hope that all 50 states will follow this lead” For more information about D2L or its Stewards of Children® program, visit www.D2L.org. For more information on the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children, visit www.beaubidenfoundation.org.
