This year has been a landmark year for Darkness to Light, from surpassing 1.6 million adults trained to our partnership with Aly Raisman to successfully pulling off a National Prevention Conference for the second year in a row. So many amazing things have been accomplished, and it’s all because YOU stepped up. Because of your support we have been able to implement exciting new programs, form new partnerships, and train more people to protect kids.
Check out some of the highlights from 2018:
Aly Raisman & Flip the Switch Campaign
In March, we began a partnership with US Champion Gymnast Aly Raisman. After the trial of Larry Nassar, Aly was inspired by the many people who voiced concern about the lack of support and attention being devoted to the issue of sexual abuse within the sport of gymnastics, particularly at the grassroots level. Together we implemented the Flip the Switch Campaign which provides Stewards of Children® at no cost to anyone who uses the code FLIPTHESWITCH. This campaign is particularly targeted at all adults involved in youth sports, and has motivated more than 3,300 people to take the training.
Most recently, our President & CEO Katelyn N. Brewer, Aly Raisman, and the CEO of Eastern Bank Bob Rivers, participated in a panel moderated by Shirley Leung, the interim editorial page editor at The Boston Globe to discuss ways individuals, community organizations, and businesses can support this issue. After the panel, Eastern donated $25,000 to Darkness to Light, which will be used to support the Flip the Switch campaign and a comprehensive program to help young athletes everywhere participate in a safe and abuse-free environment.
You May Have Seen Us in Your (Buzz)feed
In April 2018, members of the BuzzFeed staff attended a Stewards of Children® training in their LA office. Along with completing the training, the team created a “BuzzFeed style” video with before and after interviews of the employees and their thoughts around the issue of child sexual abuse and the training experience. To date, the video has been viewed more than 235,000 times on BuzzFeed’s YouTube channel and helped to reach a new audience with the child sexual abuse prevention message.
The Tale: Sexual Abuse from a Child’s Perspective
This year the autobiographical drama The Tale premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and aired on HBO in May. The Tale tells the story of Jennifer Fox and her journey to confront and accept her childhood sexual abuse through the eyes of her thirteen year-old self. The movie was nominated for a host of awards including two Primetime Emmy’s (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Outstanding Television Movie). Darkness to Light partnered with The Tale team to create guides and resources for viewers. The film brought a powerful lens to how confusing sexual abuse can be for a child and showed clearly how manipulation and grooming of the victim, their family, and the community can occur. The Tale is available now on HBO Go.
New In-person Training Released
The in-person format of Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect training was released in May. This training empowers adults to prevent all types of child abuse and provides information on mandatory reporting and the responsibilities of mandates reporters. This training packaged with Stewards of Children® is perfect for meeting state training mandates for educators.
1.6 Million Trained
In July, we hit more than 1.6 million adults trained to help prevent child sexual abuse. This is a huge milestone and was no easy task. It is only through the tireless work of our partners and the continued support of our donors that we’ve been able to reach over 1.6 million adults. That’s 1.6 million people in communities all over the globe who know what to look for and how to intervene if a child is being groomed or abused. As we approach our 20th anniversary and are poised to reach millions more with the knowledge required to stand against child sexual abuse, our goal is to train four million adults by the year 2020.
Second National Prevention Conference a Success
In October we gathered in Memphis, TN with nearly 200 other child advocates to host the second National Prevention Conference, presented by the Monique Burr Foundation for Children. For three days, we held advanced trainings, interactive sessions, and engaged with attendees on a national level to equip, strengthen, and organize their child sexual abuse prevention initiatives. The keynote speakers and presenters shared a wealth of knowledge and inspiration, leaving us refueled to continue the fight against sexual abuse. Save the date for Ignite 2019 happening in October in Boston, MA!
Buzz Worthy
As the thought-leaders in prevention, Darkness to Light was featured in major new publications throughout this year to highlight the importance of educating adults to prevent abuse. You may have seen us in your news feed, but if not you check out some of the articles and social media posts below.
Again, thank you for all you’ve done to make this a great year! Countless children have been protected from abuse because of your partnership in our programs and initiatives. This year would not have been nearly as successful without you!
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