Special Alert: Trial Verdicts

Guily Verdicts Opportunity for Prevention

As supporters of Stop It Now!, we imagine that like us, you have been following yesterday’s jury verdicts in both the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse trial and the Msgr. Lynn child endangerment trial.   In both cases, individual men have been found guilty.  Sandusky was found guilty for his actions.  Lynn was found guilty for his inaction. 

In both cases, numerous children were harmed.  In both cases, the adults were part of larger organizations.  In both cases, we’re reminded that while justice is important, what is even more important is to prevent children from ever experiencing harm and to intervene before anyone harms a child. 

Please join us in using these trials as opportunities to talk about what we CAN do to prevent children from sexual abuse.  Whether you’re talking with friends, colleagues, or writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, we, as individuals, with a collective message will help to make these cases the tipping point that moves all of us towards acting to prevent sexual abuse before children are harmed and before anyone acts inappropriately or harmfully towards a child.     

Take Action Now

• Read our Commentary on the Sandusky- Msgr Lynn verdicts
• Work with your local media to talk about prevention of child sexual abuse.
• Send a letter to the editor of your local paper urging action on prevention.
• Ask all youth serving organizations Nine Questions to learn how proactively and comprehensively they are working to create safe environments for children. 
• Recommend StopItNow.org for our balanced information, practical resources, and support for taking action to keep kids safe. 
• Friend us on Facebook and add your comments to our coverage of this topic.
• Talk with your children and teens about child sexual abuse.
• Create or revisit your Family Safety Plan.

To change the outcome, we need to change our actions.  Please join with us so we can look back at 2012 as the tipping point for adults taking responsibility before children are harmed.