Child Sexual Abuse Prevention as our Collective Responsibility

Legislative Briefing Highlights Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in Massachusetts

Briefing kicks off Child Abuse Prevention Month in April 

To mark the beginning of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Children’s Trust, dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts, and the Office of the Child Advocate hosted a legislative briefing at the Massachusetts State House, providing an update on child sexual abuse prevention efforts across the Commonwealth. The event convened lawmakers, child protection advocates, and community leaders to discuss progress made, ongoing challenges, and next steps in strengthening prevention initiatives. 

Senator Joan Lovely (D-Salem) and Representative Susannah Whipps (I-Athol) opened the event, underscoring the Commonwealth’s commitment to proactive child sexual abuse prevention policies.  

(L to R) Senator Joan Lovely, Maria Mossaides, Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Jennifer Valenzuela, Meg Bossong, and Nick Cacciolfi.

Jennifer Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Children’s Trust, provided an overview of the Commonwealth’s work during the past decade and where efforts will focus moving forward. As prevention efforts evolve, a growing focus is on addressing problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) in youth, she said. PSB refers to child or youth-initiated sexual behaviors that are developmentally inappropriate or potentially harmful to themselves or others. Research shows that with early intervention, children displaying PSB can learn healthy behaviors, yet many families struggle to find services. The Children’s Trust has begun integrating PSB education into all child sexual abuse prevention trainings and is planning to hold community forums to better understand the needs of caregivers navigating these challenges.  

“The evidence is clear—child sexual abuse is preventable,” said Valenzuela. “Prevention means not only equipping communities with the tools to stop abuse before it happens but also ensuring families have access to resources when concerns arise. Addressing problematic sexual behavior is an essential piece of this work. By expanding education and support, we can help children develop healthy behaviors and provide caregivers with the guidance they need.” 

Meg Bossong, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Society for a World Free of Sexual Harm by Youth (MASOC), which supports paraprofessionals and mental health providers working with youth exhibiting PSB, highlighted the growing need for additional resources and support for families of children exhibiting PSB.  

State leaders also emphasized the need for a coordinated, statewide response to prevention, ensuring families and professionals have the tools to recognize and address risks before harm occurs. 

“Our responsibility is clear—we must create environments where children are protected from harm and given every opportunity to thrive,” said Maria Mossaides, Director of the Office of the Child Advocate. “By prioritizing prevention, we can equip families, schools, and youth-serving organizations with the tools to stop abuse before it happens. For nearly a decade, partners across state agencies, the Legislature, and advocacy groups have worked to make child-serving systems proactive in preventing child sexual abuse—making a real difference in children’s lives.” 

The Massachusetts Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Advisory Council, formerly the Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, has played a leading role in shaping statewide prevention strategies, including the development of a comprehensive report for youth-serving organizations outlining prevention plans, later turned into safekidsthrive.org. Co-chaired by the Children’s Trust and the Office of the Child Advocate, the Council’s work focuses on advancing evidence-based policies, supporting youth-serving organizations, and ensuring a coordinated response to child sexual abuse prevention. 

Nick Cacciolfi, Recreation Director for the Town of Winchester, spoke about the Town’s experience using Safe Kids Thrive, a first-of-its-kind website managed by the Children’s Trust that offers free tools and resources for schools, childcare centers, and youth-serving organizations to develop and implement tailored prevention-focused policies.  

“For almost two months, the Safe Kids Thrive team worked closely with me, reviewing and editing our materials. Their expertise allowed us to focus on child safety policies that we would have been unable to develop on our own,” said Cacciolfi. “We created a living document that now serves as the framework for all child safety policies within our department. This document was used to update and streamline our program manuals and handbooks, ensuring consistency across all programs. The new policy empowers our staff to take action when child safety is at risk, providing clear steps and resources for reporting any safety concerns. I cannot stress how important it is for funding to continue for the Children’s Trust and Safe Kids Thrive. The access to guidance, support, and expertise from these programs is priceless and truly a gamechanger to help strengthen programs, train staff and ultimately keep kids safe.” 

The briefing underscored that child sexual abuse prevention requires a unified and proactive approach, integrating prevention strategies across schools, youth-serving organizations, and communities. As Child Abuse Prevention Month continues, advocates urged policymakers to prioritize sustained funding for prevention programs. Every child deserves to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, and ensuring families have access to the right resources is an important step to achieving that goal, urged advocates at the briefing.

About the Children’s Trust  

The Children’s Trust is a public-private organization working toward a Massachusetts free from child abuse and neglect. We partner with organizations and communities to drive systemic change to address the root causes of abuse and neglect so that all children can grow up in thriving families. You can learn more at childrenstrustma.org. 

About the Office of the Child Advocate    

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent agency that serves children and families across the Commonwealth. The Office’s goal is to ensure all children receive