By Bridget Brainard, Staff Attorney at CHILD USA. Bridget is a Staff Attorney at CHILD USA. In addition to conducting legal research and policy analysis in the areas of child sexual abuse, human trafficking, trauma-informed judicial training, abuse in youth sports, and educational neglect, Bridget...
Winning At All Costs – Is It Worth It?
Elite athletes are at the peak of physical and mental fitness. But that doesn’t mean they’re safe from abuse. When you watch an elite sporting event like the Olympics or the College Softball World Series, it’s easy to think that the athletes on the field seem almost invincible. They’re strong,...
The Darkness Within: Reflecting on “Shiny Happy People” and the Connection Between Extreme Religious Groups and Child Sexual Abuse
Written June 29, 2023 by Jessica Schidlow, Legal Director of CHILD USA Jessica Schidlow, ESQ, MA, NCC, has an extensive background in child welfare and leads the Legal Team at CHILD USA. After law school, Jessica joined the Montgomery County Public Defender's Office in their Child Advocacy Unit,...
Direct Reporting Prevents Child Abuse
This guest blog is co-authored by experts in mandatory reporting of child sex abuse. Dr. Franne Sippel, EdD is a Licensed Psychologist and co-owner of Northern Plains Psychological Associates in Aberdeen, SD and co-host of the mental health podcast, Shrink Rap the Podcast. She serves on the...
Criminalization Of Sex Trafficked Youth
Written by Sarah Bousquet Sarah Bousquet is a CHILD USA Research & Development Intern. Â Â Â Children victimized and exploited by sex trafficking deserve to be protected from further traumatization. Vulnerable children are targeted by predators and are forced into sex trafficking across the...
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...