News
When states began to register kids in the 1980s and 90’s, little was known about children who cause sexual harm. Upwards of 100,000 people on sex offender registries went on as kids. While some cases involve serious harm, many others involved normative childhood behavior such as playing doctor, streaking, or sexting. Research shows most often, this behavior would have ended even without intervention: Ninety seven percent of them never reoffend.
Registration laws stigmatize and isolate the very children they were designed to protect, forcing youthful indiscretions to follow kids into adulthood. Names, photos, and addresses can be made public, leading to vigilante violence and psychological harm. One in five people put on the registry as children attempt suicide; too many succeed.
In addition, placing kids on sex offender registries does nothing to prevent abuse but rather, can diminish public safety. This practice imposes huge social costs, totaling $3 billion annually in the US, yet it produces no social benefits.
Child sexual abuse is a serious but preventable problem, but our policies respond as if it is inevitable and ignore evidence-based solutions. If we reinvest in practices that both treat and prevent harm, we can disrupt cycles of trauma, healing families and restoring communities.
What We’re Doing
Shifting the Narrative
We dispel myths about children on sex offender registries as well as around child-on-child sexual harm. The fact is, most kids on registries are survivors of neglect or trauma and never reoffend even without intervention. They should be offered treatment and healing.
Eliminating Harmful Policy
We collaborate with a bipartisan, multi-disciplinary coalition of stakeholders to eliminate youth registration laws, as well as oppose bills that threaten to expand the scope of registration for children.
Promoting Effective Practice
We advocate for investments in our survivors, families, and communities by expanding proven and effective practices to prevent, treat, and heal from sexual harm.