Child Sexual Abuse Prevention in the Latino Community

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Joseph J. Peters Institute (JJPI) will develop a grassroots participatory campaign that engages community residents and organizations to find innovative ways of addressing sexual abuse. They will develop and implement a behavioral health education program for the prevention of child sexual abuse among the Latino community in Philadelphia, PA. JJPI will create a focused education program, new original education material to support the program, and a social marketing poster campaign designed and created by the local Philadelphia Latino community. They will provide education about child sexual abuse and focus the responsibility for preventing it on adults; provide resources to the Latino community to help build their capacity to prevent sexual abuse; and reframe the issue of child sexual abuse from an individual experience to one that impacts entire communities and therefore requires a community effort to confront and prevent this abusive behavior.

NCA/NCF