Scaling up efforts to prevent child sexual abuse

Photo: © Eva Hermes

The Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme (Prevent CSA) works to strengthen the global movement to end child sexual abuse. It gets behind key networks, such as ECPAT International, as well as campaigners, advocates and researchers committed to ending this silent pandemic. 

One example is the Out of the Shadows Index from the Economist Intelligence Unit – pioneering work that Oak supported, along with the World Childhood Foundation. This ground-breaking index highlights how 40 countries are addressing sexual violence against children to develop a better understanding of the issue, show where progress is needed, identify factors that can potentially drive change and bring more attention to this neglected issue. 

Prevent CSA also supports two initiatives where there is need and potential for urgent progress. The first is ending child institutionalisation in Bulgaria. The second is ending online child sexual abuse – supporting image removal and greater accountability for such abuse. 

The programme draws inspiration from its Trustee, Caroline Turner, who wants to see substantial change happen in her lifetime. “Child sexual abuse is the most grievous crime that can happen to a child, yet it is often tolerated and goes unpunished,” she says. “By making it our focus, we intend to support the organisations that can change that.” 

These grants all fall under the Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme which seeks to:

• promote, advance and scale up solutions to reduce child sexual abuse; and
• engage with and hold global institutions accountable to prevent abuse and to end impunity for child sexual abuse.

To learn more about Oak’s grantees’ work to prevent child sexual abuse, read pages 10-15 of Oak’s 2018 Annual Report.

Source: Oak Foundation Annual Report 2018