CHILD USA IS COMMITTED
TO ENDING CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Best Practices for Litigating Child Sex Abuse Civil Cases CLE:
Proving the Elements of Chid Sex Abuse in Civil Litigation
July 24, 2020 | 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Teachable Platform
Our Membership Portal is Live!
Our Membership Portal is Live!
CHILD USA is asking What About the Children during COVID-19. The conversation about COVID-19 has to leave out an important and vulnerable group, children. CHILD USA is working to bring awareness to the heightened risk of children who are isolated at home in dangerous circumstances and have lost the safety nets their daily lives normally provide. Visit our WATCH page to see how CHILD USA is helping parents, teachers, child protection workers, and policy makers address the pandemic’s unintended consequences.
CHILD USA is asking What About the Children during COVID-19. The conversation about COVID-19 has to leave out an important and vulnerable group, children. CHILD USA is working to bring awareness to the heightened risk of children who are isolated at home in dangerous circumstances and have lost the safety nets their daily lives normally provide. Visit our WATCH page to see how CHILD USA is helping parents, teachers, child protection workers, and policy makers address the pandemic’s unintended consequences.
CHILD USA IN THE NEWS
DAVID VS. GOLIATH: Marci Hamilton, Fels Institute of Government Professor of Practice, has faced down institutional child abuse for decades—and she is just getting started.
In the Danny Masterson Rape Case, Echoes of a 2019 Lawsuit
By Julia Jacobs | June 18, 2020
Boy Scout victims’ choice: Sue rashly, or wait and risk loss
Facebook plot to encrypt ALL chats ‘will help child abusers to hide’, former police chief warns
David vs. Goliath: Marci Hamilton, Fels Institute of Government Professor of Practice, has faced down institutional child abuse for decades—and she is just getting started.
Blake Cole | MAY 22, 2020
In the Danny Masterson Rape Case, Echoes of a 2019 Lawsuit
By Julia Jacobs | June 18, 2020
Boy Scout victims’ choice: Sue rashly, or wait and risk loss
MIKE CATALINI | MAY 31, 2020
Facebook plot to encrypt ALL chats ‘will help child abusers to hide’, former police chief warns
CHILD USA is the leading national nonprofit think tank working to end child abuse and neglect in the United States.
CHILD USA engages in high-level legal, social science, and medical research and analysis to derive the best public policies to end child abuse and neglect in America. CHILD USA produces evidence-based solutions and information needed by policymakers, organizations, media, and society as a whole to increase child protection and the common good. Since its inception, CHILD USA has made great achievements in ending child abuse and neglect in America!
There have been successful national and global efforts on SOL (Statute of Limitation) Reform with CEO Marci Hamilton leading the way. States across the country have been eliminating their criminal and civil Statutes of Limitation and opening windows to justice for victims from the past. Just in 2019, we had eight states, including New York and New Jersey, open retroactive windows to allow survivors whose statutes have expired to file claims against their abusers and the institutions that enabled them. Check out the latest updates on our SOL page www.childusa.org/sol
CURRENT INITIATIVES
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM
There are two paths to justice for children who have been sexually abused: criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. Historically, the vast majority of child sex abuse victims have been unable to prosecute or file civil lawsuits because they missed the arbitrary procedural deadline—the statute of limitations (“SOLs”)—for their claims. CHILD USA leads the movement to end this injustice that also harms the public good by keeping victims from naming their predators and the institutions that enabled them.
ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF ATHLETES: THE GAME OVER COMMISSION
Like other arenas where children can be isolated and manipulated by predatory adults, youth sports programs present steep challenges to the protection of children. Sports programs, at all levels, are a critically important frontier in the investigations into child sexual abuse and one of the least studied. CHILD USA is leading the way with its Game Over Commission and social science studies aimed at athletes.
AMICUS ADVOCACY
Through the Amicus Advocacy Project, CHILD USA submits amicus briefs in important cases involving child abuse, neglect, and the family courts in courts across the country–both state and federal–including the United States Supreme Court. Those briefs are available here as is contact information for needed briefs.
FAMILY COURT REFORM
Child sexual abuse perpetrated within families is one of the most insidious and under-prosecuted crimes, and the legal system often fails to adequately protect a child from an abusive parent. CHILD USA is dedicated to reform of the family court system to ensure child protection.
MEDICAL NEGLECT AND VACCINE AVOIDANCE
Most states have laws giving religious exemptions to testing and screening of children. Federal law requires doctors treating children on Medicaid or CHIP to perform several tests and screening on the children, yet federal law also allows states to offer religious exemptions. CHILD USA’s research into these religious exemptions laws reveals the exigency for policy that protects the health and safety of children
CONVERSION THERAPY
CHILD USA is studying the health and welfare effects on those who have been subjected to so-called “conversion therapy” or “reparative therapy,” which is intended to “fix” their sexual orientation. As with every other initiative, CHILD USA is pairing legal and social science research and analysis to determine what is in the best interest of children and the public good.
This approach has been uniformly rejected by every leading medical organization.
CHILD MARRIAGE
Child marriage happens more than you think. Girls are at risk of sex abuse in far too many cultures, including the United States. In 36, or 2/3, of the states, the age of marriage for minors with parental consent is 16, which is very young for marriage. In some states, though, the minimum is even younger with judicial and parental consent. CHILD USA is studying child marriage as part of its overall agenda to fight child sex abuse and girls’ challenges to fulfilling their potential.
FAMILY COURT REFORM
Child sexual abuse perpetrated within families is one of the most insidious and under-prosecuted crimes, and the legal system often fails to adequately protect a child from an abusive parent. CHILD USA is dedicated to reform of the family court system to ensure child protection.
MEDICAL NEGLECT AND VACCINE AVOIDANCE
Many states and the federal government have laws granting religious exemptions to medical testing and screening of children as well as vaccination. The result is the deaths and unnecessary illness of children. Building on the work of pioneer in the field, Rita Swan, Ph.D., CHILD USA fights to ensure that all children receive adequate medical care.
ABUSE AND NEGLECT OF ATHLETES: THE GAME OVER COMMISSION
Like other arenas where children can be isolated and manipulated by predatory adults, youth sports programs present steep challenges to the protection of children. Sports programs, at all levels, are a critically important frontier in the investigations into child sexual abuse and one of the least studied. CHILD USA is leading the way with its Game Over Commission and social science studies aimed at athletes.
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM
There are two paths to justice for children who have been sexually abused: criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. Historically, the vast majority of child sex abuse victims have been unable to prosecute or file civil lawsuits because they missed the arbitrary procedural deadline—the statute of limitations (“SOLs”)—for their claims. CHILD USA leads the movement to end this injustice that also harms the public good by keeping victims from naming their predators and the institutions that enabled them.
AMICUS ADVOCACY
Through the Amicus Advocacy Project, CHILD USA submits amicus briefs in important cases involving child abuse, neglect, and the family courts in courts across the country--both state and federal--including the United States Supreme Court. Those briefs are available here as is contact information for needed briefs.
CONVERSION THERAPY
CHILD USA is studying the health and welfare effects on those who have been subjected to so-called “conversion therapy” or “repaative therapy,” which is intended to “fix” their sexual orientation. As with every other initiative, CHILD USA is pairing legal and social science research and analysis to determine what is in the best interest of children and the public good.
This approach has been uniformly rejected by every leading medical organization.
CHILD MARRIAGE
Child marriage happens more than you think. Girls are at risk of sex abuse in far too many cultures, including the United States. In 36, or 2/3, of the states, the age of marriage for minors with parental consent is 16, which is very young for marriage. In some states, though, the minimum is even younger with judicial and parental consent. CHILD USA is studying child marriage as part of its overall agenda to fight child sex abuse and girls’ challenges to fulfilling their potential.
WEEKLY BLOG (& Other Things to Read)
A More Inclusive Pride
“Pride started as a protest.” Those words echoed in my mind as I marched down Lamar Street, headed towards Houston’s city hall. Surrounded by nearly 60,000 protestors marching alongside George Floyd’s family, I was forced to recognize the significance of the moment.
June 29, 2020 | By Addison Fiend
WEEKLY BLOG (& Other Things to Read)
A More Inclusive Pride
“Pride started as a protest.” Those words echoed in my mind as I marched down Lamar Street, headed towards Houston’s city hall. Surrounded by nearly 60,000 protestors marching alongside George Floyd’s family, I was forced to recognize the significance of the moment.
June 29, 2020 | By Addison Fiend
CHILD USA’s Weekly Data Drop
CHILD USA’s Weekly Data Drop
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