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The History of Children’s Rights
CHILD USA is working every day to ensure that children have a seat at the policy table to ensure their rights are protected. But why is this something we need to fight for? At the founding of our country, only the rights of a select few were included in the protections written by our Founding...
Jason Berry – The Sean P. McIlmail Hero Award
A prolific, pioneering writer and documentary filmmaker, Jason Berry’s work to reveal the Catholic Church’s cover-up of widespread sexual abuse has encompassed a good portion of his professional life. As he says, “I have worked at trying to understand the two major stories of my life: New Orleans,...
CHILD USA is Shining a Light on the Institutional Failure in the Catholic Church’s Diocese with Child Sex Abuse
In 2002, the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team broke a story that would unleash an avalanche of disturbing revelations about the catholic church. For decades, thousands of children had been sexually abused by priests – men in positions of power, prestige, and trust. Catholic leaders often knew about...
Gretchen Carlson – The Barbara Blaine Trailblazer Award
Gretchen Carlson had no inkling that she would ignite a movement when she sued Roger Ailes, then chairman and CEO of Fox News for sexual harassment in the workplace. In fact, she thought she would be sitting at home crying her eyes out for the rest of her life, having lost the career in which...
CHILD USA Makes Its Mark in Federal Legislative Reform
CHILD USA has been making considerable strides in advancing the civil rights of children through advocating for federal legislation since 2016. In 2022, CHILD USA together with its sister organization, CHILD USAdvocacy, has been working with federal lawmakers to enact laws that will better protect...
Why I Started CHILD USA by Marci Hamilton
Why I Started CHILD USA by Marci Hamilton CHILD USA was born in academic curiosity and the pain of children sexually abused. I was brought into the clergy sex abuse cases twenty years ago after the first window to justice was opened in California. At the time, I held the Paul R. Verkuil Chair...
Impacts of the Dobbs Decision on Children: Teen/Child Pregnancy
Impacts of the Dobbs Decision on Children: Teen/Child Pregnancy Cowritten by Sarah Bousquet – Research & Development Intern and Social Science Director – AJ Ortiz This past June, the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson overturned both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey...
The Flaws of the Pope’s Institutional Morality for Opposing Clergy Sex Abuse by Professor Leslie C. Griffin
Professor Leslie C. Griffin is a Boyd Professor of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the William S. Boyd School of Law. Reading history reminds us that the Roman Catholic Church, like other organizations, repeatedly covered up sexual abuse, defending the abusers instead of protecting...
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE MODEL CODE FOR STATE CRIMINAL LAWS WOULD ROLLBACK DECADES OF CHILD PROTECTION ADVANCES
On May 17th, the American Law Institute (ALI)—a non-profit organization composed of influential legal experts— will vote on sweeping revisions to the Model Penal Code which, if adopted by state legislatures, will put children at risk, according to the nation's leading nonprofit think tank...