A Ten-point Plan to Stamp Out Child Sexual Abuse (SOCSA)
Introduce kindergarten programs, based on a US model, with two key roles. To identify early sexualization in children, attempt to trace its origins and treat these children and to educate all children about rights to their physical space.
Change the law to make it compulsory for any adult to report suspected child sexual abuse, thus introducing the idea that it is the responsibility of every adult to care for and protect children. If we leave this responsibility to others, there will be children who fall through the net.
Develop treatment programs for adolescents showing signs of, or charged with, inteferring with other children in inappropriate ways. Research shows if sexually abused children are treated in early adolescence, there is a good chance of preventing them from become offenders themselves and/or suffering longterm trauma in later life, such as drug and alcohol dependency, criminal behaviour, mental illness, depression etc thus drawing on longterm resources costing the community billions of dollars a year.
Develop a specific tertiary unit dealing with all aspects of child sexual assault and make it a compulsory requirement for all teaching, social or youth work, psychology, law, police and sports training and other related courses.
Develop a social marketing media campaign to raise awareness and educate the community about identifying children at risk and what to do about it.
Introduce a 24-hour help line for perpetrators similar to programs for drug addicts and Alcoholics Anonymous, realizing that child sex offending is a compulsive behaviour, in most cases born of child sexual abuse, which requires assistance to minimize or overcome.
Introduce an education program compulsory, if not highly recommended for, all members of the judiciary.
Develop community treatment programs for families affected by child sexual abuse, based on a New Zealand model. Such a program would treat offenders in a community setting with the help and active involvement of family members.
Introduce more effective prison treatment program for child sex offenders based on the world’s leading correctional program in New Zealand. A key element of this program’s success has been in helping offenders in denial understand, fully appreciate and take responsibility for the damage they have caused to their victims.
Create new governmental positions for Ministers of Child Safety such as the Queensland model. These positions would have a cross governmental role to collaborate with and make recommendations to other ministers, such as police, social serves, education, corrections etc.
