2022, a year in review
2022 was an incredible year for child abuse prevention. Check out highlights from this year and the extraordinary things our supporters have allowed us to do.
Making a difference in Loudoun County
Child abuse is on the rise as Loudoun's vulnerable families continue to face long-term consequences of COVID. That's where SCAN comes in. After two years of isolation, socio-economic instability, and lack of community resources, struggling families continue to face stress and unsafe living situations. Loudoun's youth need our help now more than ever.
Washington Post Opinion: In Northern Virginia, we’re working hard to prevent child sex abuse
Leah Fraley is executive director of Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia, a regionwide organization focused solely on preventing child abuse and neglect across Northern Virginia. In the past few weeks, and for the past four years, Americans have watched the Larry Nassar-USA Gymnastics case unfold in the headlines. Hundreds of victims have accused […]
Fairfax Times: NOVA nonprofit combats institutional abuse in the wake of FBI failure in Larry Nassar case
Dear Editor, The failures of both USA Gymnastics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to appropriately address the sexual offenses of Larry Nassar enabled his crimes. This is institutional abuse, and it is not a new story. Organizations routinely side with employees and people in positions of power over the allegations of children, prioritizing […]
FOX DC: SCAN calls for action on institutional abuse following gymnastics testimonies
SCAN's new Institutional Abuse Prevention program, aims at preventing abuse in youth-serving organizations, like USA Gymnastics. "We’re tired of excuses because we know how we can do better," Program Director Laurie Tasharski told Fox 5 Monday. "If you have a reputation that you won’t harm, that you’re above reproach, you’re actually more likely to have a situation where a child can be harmed in your care."
Statement on Institutional Abuse in Response to Sexual Offenses of Larry Nassar
The failures of both USA Gymnastics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to appropriately address the sexual offenses of Larry Nassar enabled his crimes. This is institutional abuse, and it is not a new story. Organizations routinely side with employees and people in positions of power over the allegations of children, prioritizing their reputation over the safety of the children in their care.
Getting Comfortable with Our Discomfort: D2L Facilitator Training in June
Next month, SCAN will host a facilitator workshop for Darkness to Light, where we’ll train adults to deliver the Stewards of Children® training program to others in our local community. Facilitators model the core principals of the curriculum by talking openly about child sexual abuse and engaging adults in discussion, and are expected to schedule and facilitate at least 4 […]
A Goal We Can Get Behind: “4 Million by 2020” with Darkness to Light
Goals are important to set for so many reasons–they keep us on track, hold us accountable and help push us to our limits. One goal that we can get behind at SCAN is Darkness to Light’s Four Million by 2020: Imagine 4 million adults who have been trained in Stewards of Children! 4 million adults who can prevent, […]
SCAN’s Response to Larry Nassar: What Every Adult Must Do Next
It is easy to look back at what happened to the over 100 victims of Larry Nassar and see who failed these athletes; Michigan State, USA Gymnastics, coaches and parents who didn’t believe their daughters. But what if we never had to look back? What if it had never happened? I find myself sounding like […]
The Tough Discussions Are Worth It: Helping Parents Talk About Child Sexual Abuse
As stories of sexual assault and harassment fill our newsfeeds, it’s critical that we talk to children about this issue and its impact. 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by the time they turn 18, yet only a third will report it. As professionals, we need to be able to talk to the […]
My IGNITE! Experience—On the Road with Darkness to Light
I am writing this blog post fresh from the first Darkness to Light Facilitators Conference, Ignite! I was joined by 170 others from 32 states and 4 countries (including 4 of us from Northern Virginia). The conference was a fantastic mix of dynamic and engaging keynote speakers, experts in specific content related to Stewards of […]
It’s Summer: What Are Your Go-To Resources for Parents?
For those of us who work with children and families, summer can bring fun — but also a lot of season-specific challenges. Families are on unusual schedules, parents are juggling the demands of new childcare arrangements and children are spending more time alone / on-screen or online / with new adults / outdoors and in pools. This week, we’ve gathered […]
The Movement to End Child Sexual Abuse — Are You Our Next Facilitator?
SCAN has known for years that Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children is an excellent curriculum for teaching all adults how to protect children from child sexual abuse. We have trained close to 1,500 adults in Northern Virginia. However, there is a wider network of Darkness to Light facilitators in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland […]
We Support the Girls: A chance to educate and engage
On February 11th, I had the privilege of being on a panel for a special community event put on by We Support the Girls, a local organization that “recognizes the need to support child victims of sexual abuse, beginning with the initial reporting, continuing through the legal process, and ultimately sustaining as victims and their families […]
3 Facts on Child Sexual Abuse, Prevention and SCAN of Northern Virginia
FACT: Child sexual abuse is far more prevalent than most people realize. Child sexual abuse is likely the most prevalent health problem children face with the most serious array of consequences. About one in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. This year, there will be about 400,000 […]
7 “Take Action” Tips from Advocacy Day
Last month, SCAN hosted its 5th Annual Speak Up for Children Advocacy Training, bringing together more than 40 attendees for a day of public policy education and advocacy training. Partners from Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and Voices for Virginia’s Children along with a diverse group of child welfare experts and elected officials led discussions during the day-long, interactive workshop. The […]
New Workshops with SCAN!
It’s a new school year and we’re excited to launch a new menu of workshops for the community! We encourage ALL groups of people to consider a workshop — from nonprofits, schools and government agencies to parenting groups, employers and faith groups. Our workshops are based on SCAN’s existing child abuse prevention and advocacy programs as well as the […]
“It Was the Easiest Thing to Do.”
“It was the easiest thing to do. It’s a natural way to introduce not only the issue of child sexual abuse to the community, but Stewards of Children® and Darkness to Light too.” Last week, SCAN’s Public Education Manager Tracy Leonard was interviewed for a post over at the Darkness to Light blog. SCAN is an official […]
Building Capacity, Reaching Our Tipping Point
Darkness to Light has aspired to reach a tipping point with adults in their home state of South Carolina to make sure that they are “actively preventing child sexual abuse by training 5% of the adult population to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse!” This idea comes from The Tipping Point, a book […]
Letter to the Editor: It’s Time We All Became a Part of the Solution
[This Letter to the Editor was first published 4/20/16 in LoudounNow.] Last week, I spent time with Loudoun County Public School staff providing a Stewards of Children training on how to recognize, react and respond to child sexual abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so the timing couldn’t have been better. But we’ve actually been […]
Survivor, Advocate, Hero: The woman behind Erin’s Law
Some might call Erin Merryn a survivor, an advocate, a hero, or all three. Erin Merryn is a remarkable, brave young woman. She is the drive behind Erin’s Law, which “requires age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education in grades Pre-kindergarten through 12 along with training school staff on the prevention of sexual abuse.” […]
A Tipping Point in Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Do you know what a “tipping point” is? Malcolm Gladwell’s book by the same name has championed the idea in recent years: The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. How exciting to hear that a fellow Darkness to Light partner […]
A Must-Read on Child Sexual Abuse…and Silence
It’s a horrific issue that we sometimes become immune to in our line of work as child advocates. And while we talk about it on a regular basis, a fog of silence weighs on most people in our community when it comes to child sexual abuse. Last week’s article by Sarah Chang in the Washington Post […]
TAKE ACTION: Child Trafficking is Happening in Our Community. Do You Know How to Stop It?
This past week, SCAN’s Allies in Prevention Coalition hosted a Darkness to Light supplemental training and panel discussion at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library in Alexandria. More than 40 service providers came from around Northern Virginia for the meeting. What subject drew so many people? The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. The short video training from Darkness […]
MILESTONE: 1,000 Trained in Darkness to Light!
Earlier this week, we opened our Community Training Room to 10 adults for Stewards of Children, a child sexual abuse prevention training program from Darkness to Light. The class included parents, a lawyer, a nanny, SCAN board members, CASA volunteers, teachers and more. It was a perfect reflection of why we feel our work in child sexual abuse […]