Coordinated Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: A glance behind the scenes of a community-academic partnership

In Pennsylvania, more than 2,000 children were victims of Child SexualAbuse (CSA) in 2019. CSA increasesthe risk for lifelong adverse outcomes—including substance use, poormental health, and obesity. Preventing CSA from ever occurring is a national,statewide, countywide, and local priority. In 2018, a unique and innovative multi-year, multi-site partnership launchedbetween the Child Maltreatment SolutionsNetwork at Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and local agencies in five counties across the Commonwealth. Within each of our pilot counties, this partnership delivers evidence-informed programs to three distinct populations: adults in the general community, second graders, and at-risk parents.In this presentation we will describe the preparation, planning, and implementation of our coordinated CSA prevention approach, using the triumphs and tribulations of our partners at York County as an illustrative example. Our intention is that participants will leave with an understanding of why and how we can prevent CSA when we come togetherto create a safe and healthy Pennsylvania.