Years ago, Elizabeth Letourneau had a key insight: What if instead of focusing exclusively on victims and parents for child sexual abuse prevention, we really turned to the source of the problem: the person at risk of sexually abusing a child? Now, we really don’t like to talk about, or even think about, the fact that some youth and some adults are sexually attracted to children. But what if we could teach middle schoolers about sexual boundaries and about consent before they ever made a misstep...
Jan 07, 2021•45 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In our season-ending episode, we look at the wave of statute of limitation (SOL) reform that has swept our country, giving survivors of child sexual abuse—who may take years to fully process and disclose what happened to them—more time to seek justice. But the reform also poses challenges for prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and professionals who work with victims of child abuse. How do we properly maintain evidence in perpetuity? What resources do we need to really store this evidence—bot...
Dec 10, 2020•23 min•Season 2Ep. 21
It was after midnight one night in 1983 when young police detective Brad Russ heard the knock on his front door that would transform his career. A 16-year-old girl named Kathy had run through a driving rainstorm to reach the one person in her neighborhood she thought might help her. Russ had never investigated child abuse before, and overnight he got a crash-course in the disjointed way the system handled—or didn’t handle—such cases. It launched him on a lifelong mission to improve his own commu...
Nov 19, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In the midst of a national debate about criminal justice reform, what’s the role of the prosecutor? And how do we transform the system while still centering victims? We spoke to Nelson Bunn, executive director of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), about the unique role of prosecutors in leading systemic change. In a time of anxiety in the community about the relationship with law enforcement and with the criminal justice system overall, trust, accountability, and transparency ar...
Nov 05, 2020•24 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In “Is Abuse Contagious?” we sit down for a conversation with a guest who does fascinating work—Dyann Daley of Predict Align Prevent. As a pediatric anesthesiologist, Dr. Daley was driven by the sight of little kids fighting for their lives in the emergency room because they had been abused. She started a nonprofit that uses existing data to find neighborhoods that are hot spots for abuse—including some places where folks say, “Oh, not, that’s not a problem on this side of town.” How can a famil...
Oct 08, 2020•57 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In “ Can a Pandemic Have a Silver Lining? ”, we invite Dr. Danielle Roubinov of the University of California to discuss a “research manifesto” letter she and her colleagues published in JAMA Pediatrics in August. Even as a novel coronavirus has upended our world, leading to new public health and safety guidelines that are playing hob with many research projects, it is also fostering innovation. The result has, in some ways, catalyzed research into early childhood adversity. COVID-19 has also rat...
Sep 10, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 17
We're back from our Best of the Best series to talk with Dr. Isha Metzger , a clinical psychologist, a University of Georgia researcher, and head of The EMPOWER Lab . But her real claim to fame: she noticed that the gold-standard treatment for children delivered at CACs wasn't working for her Black clients, dug into it, and came up with a brand-new adaptation to serve Black children and families, build their trust, and see themselves reflected in the work of healing from trauma. In fact, Just as...
Aug 20, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Greater Than the Sum—Multiple Adversities in Children’s Lives (originally "Mending the Tears of Violence") is the third in a three-part series of best-of-the-best episodes. Adversity and violence are common in kid's lives. The cumulative burden creates a lifelong vulnerability to physical and psychological issues. So how do we help kids thrive? What strengths are most important? Sherry Hamby, research professor of psychology at the University of the South, discussed trauma’s cumulative impact an...
Aug 06, 2020•48 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We're taking a short summer break and re-airing several of our most popular episodes that are especially relevant in light of current events. This week, we'll explore how kids fare after abuse: The Hidden Cost of Resilience. Earlier this year, we spoke to Dr. Ernestine Briggs-King from Duke University School of Medicine and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network about resilience in kids who have suffered abuse, and how what we see on the surface isn't always the full story. What does the re...
Jul 17, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 14
We’re taking a short summer break and re-airing several of our most popular episodes that are especially relevant in light of current events. First up: the pandemic. When schools shut down to help slow the spread of the virus, one of the consequences was kids isolated at home, away from the teachers and other professionals who are most likely to spot the signs of abuse and take action. In 2018, more than two-thirds of reports to child abuse hotlines came from people who had contact with kids as ...
Jul 03, 2020•33 min•Season 2Ep. 13
We have two guests for you: one offering insights into research on the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on mental health, and the other giving us the perspective from the field. First up is Rabah Kamal, a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Before COVID-19, about one in five adults in the U.S. reported being worried, anxious, or depressed on a regular basis. Among teenagers, about 12% reported anxiety or depression. And that was before a global pandemic hit. What...
Jun 11, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19, professors at Central Michigan University and Montclair State University were examining whether forensic interviewers could use telehealth technology to connect with children in remote or rural service areas in cases where child abuse was suspected. It was interesting research but not particularly urgent, because whatever their findings, most forensic interviews would still be conducted face-to-face. Then the pandemic hit. Forensic interviews are conduct...
May 28, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Today’s episode is a bit of bonus content for you. Adverse childhood experiences—also known as ACEs—can have lifelong effects. But does that mean we should screen everyone for ACEs? Recently, we spoke to Dr. David Finkelhor, from the Crimes Against Children Research Center and the University of New Hampshire, about the change in rates of abuse and neglect over time. If you listened to that episode, “ Bad News Is a Story; Good News Is a Statistic ,” what you didn’t hear was the conversation we ha...
May 21, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Research shows that about 75% of physical abuse starts as physical discipline gone terribly awry. We have years of data showing spanking is ineffective—and in fact, harmful to kids. But often the topic is treated as a third rail by many child abuse professionals: avoided and ignored. We spoke to Stacie LeBlanc, CEO of The UP Institute and a champion of no-hit zones. Why is it so difficult for child abuse professionals to discuss spanking with parents? How do we get past the culture wars on this ...
May 07, 2020•35 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Child protection professionals have tough jobs on any day. Add in a pandemic, and you’re piling stress on top of stress. We talked to Françoise Mathieu, executive director of TEND, an academy in Canada offering resources and training to address the needs of workers in high-stress, trauma-exposed workplaces like Children’s Advocacy Centers and their partner agencies. Françoise is a globally recognized expert on addressing burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma in these high-stress work...
Apr 22, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Prof. David Finkelhor joined us to discuss a recent one-year uptick in rates of child sexual abuse in the U.S.—and the longer-term reduction in rates of abuse and neglect (down more than 60% since 1992). What might have caused the uptick? And why are we so quick to spot bad news when the bigger news of a substantial decrease gets so little attention? Does child abuse prevention education in schools work? And what do we need to do to keep driving rates of abuse down? Topics in this episode: · An ...
Apr 10, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Prosecutor Mat Heck is our guest today. Amid a pandemic, public health experts are urging us to stay home and stay away from each other to avoid spreading the deadly virus. At National Children’s Alliance, our entire staff is teleworking—and in fact, you’ll hear that this interview was conducted over the internet. Our criminal justice system, however, is built around in‑person interactions. Now, virtually overnight, many aspects of the system had to start operating remotely. What still needs to ...
Mar 27, 2020•31 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Two guests join us to discuss the overwhelming number of images of child sexual abuse online. First, we spoke to Lieutenant Veto Mentzell with the Harford County (Md.) Sheriff’s Office . How has technology changed producing and distributing these images? What’s the impact on survivors? Who are these predators in our midst? We discussed the role of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces and how well-intentioned efforts to update legislation can criminalize children’s behavior. Then, you’ll ...
Feb 28, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Episode 204, “Mending the Tears of Violence.” Adversity and violence are common in kid's lives. The cumulative burden creates a lifelong vulnerability to physical and psychological issues. So how do we help kids thrive? What strengths are most important in overcoming adversity? Sherry Hamby, research professor of psychology at the University of the South, discussed trauma's cumulative impact and how teachers, parents, and child advocates can help kids. Topics: Adversity and violence in children'...
Feb 14, 2020•48 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Episode 203, “The Child-Trafficking-to-Adult-Prostitution Pipeline.” Multiple states and jurisdictions are considering full decriminalization of adult prostitution. On the surface, it seems like a way to help an exploited population. But the potential for harm is real—especially for children. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and we spoke to Yasmin Vafa of Rights4Girls about the connections between child sexual abuse and sex trafficking and the adult sex trade. What are sup...
Jan 24, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Episode 202, “The Hidden Cost of Resilience.” The ability to bounce back from trauma is a good thing. But, increasingly, research is uncovering signs that all may not be well with the kids who look like they’re doing just fine. We spoke to Dr. Ernestine Briggs-King about resilience—and its hidden costs. How can we help kids and families cope with trauma? What factors put children at higher risk? And what does the latest research tell us about the long-term health issues that even the most resili...
Jan 10, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Episode 201, “Gender Bias and the Myth of Parental Alienation.” Everyone’s heard of the vengeful ex-wife who accuses her ex-husband of child abuse just to get back at him during a divorce. There’s even a scientific-sounding term for it: parental alienation. But is parental alienation real? And are judges taking allegations of abuse seriously enough? We spoke to Professor Joan Meier from George Washington University Law School who has some, frankly, startling data on the subject. How does allegin...
Jan 06, 2020•37 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Season 1, Episode 12, “The Family-Focused Advocate.” One barrier to improved outcomes for children is getting families to participate in and complete mental health treatments. We have the services available at Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs), but not enough families take advantage of them. This is a family engagement problem. How do we change that? We spoke to Libby Ralston from Project BEST about a shift in the way we communicate—and a focus on family advocacy. What barriers must we overcome...
Dec 18, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Episode 111: “Beyond ACEs.” In 1998, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study showed that traumatic events in childhood were common and could have lasting effects—on everything from SAT scores while we’re in school to long-term physical health issues as adults. But are all ACEs created equal? We invited Dr. Lisa Amaya-Jackson from the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress to discuss the benefits—and the limitations—of keeping score. Have we oversimplified the way in which we talk abou...
Dec 04, 2019•46 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Episode 110: “Radically Vulnerable: Achieving Justice for Survivors.” The legal landscape has started to change for survivors of child sexual abuse. Are we headed in the right direction? And what do we need to do to keep more children safe? We talked to legal scholar Marci Hamilton from CHILD USA about the progress that’s been made—and what needs to happen next. Topics in this episode: · Many adult survivors had no legal remedy. (1:39) · Statute of limitations (SOL) reform—and who opposes it. (4...
Sep 30, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Episode 109: “ Housing Instability and Child Welfare .” Housing instability has an out-size impact on family well-being. What we can do to help children dealing with trauma retain a sense of roots and resilience? And what less-talked-about issues related to housing should we be aware of? The Urban Institute’s Maya Brennan joined us to discuss the deep cycle of cascading instabilities that has its roots in housing and what we, as a society, can do to help keep families strong. Topics in this epis...
Sep 13, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Episode 108: “The Edge of Compassion.” We know that compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and burnout can take a heavy toll on people in the field of child protection. Children’s Advocacy Center staff, law enforcement, prosecutors, medical providers, case workers, and others deal with this every single day. How do we stay hopeful and resilient in the face of such suffering? We invited Françoise Mathieu , co-executive director of TEND Academy and a highly sought-after speaker on the subject of hi...
Aug 23, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Episode 107: In “ Prediction as Prevention ” we ask the question: Can big data help us determine which children are most at risk of foster care placement? And how do we direct resources to those children to ensure they’re safe? We examine the way in which predictive modeling sheds light on the impact of implicit bias in our nation’s child welfare system. About 50% of African-American and black families in this country will experience a child welfare investigation. That’s far, far more than the d...
Aug 05, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Episode 106: “Treating the Smoke and Not the Fire” is a conversation about a new documentary, Cracked Up —an emotionally arresting, trauma-informed look at the lifelong consequences when we fail to protect a child. In Cracked Up , filmmaker Michelle Esrick chronicles Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond’s journey from childhood trauma, through decades of misdiagnoses of its effects, toward hope and healing. The duo talk about what drove them to make the film and how they hope it will help ch...
Jul 12, 2019•43 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Episode 105: “ The Science of Storytelling ” features Nat Kendall-Taylor, CEO of the FrameWorks Institute, which works to change the conversation on social issues. We discussed how to get people to engage in conversations about an uncomfortable topic—child sexual abuse. What should we change about our own messaging to give people hope that they can do something about it? We also discussed a new research project into communication strategies on this issue, and when we might learn the results. Top...
Jun 28, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5
