Under a Watchful Eye: Child abuseprevention in youth-serving organizations

Conference Theme: Community Empowerment

Session Description

Youth-serving organizations can provide quality experiences for youth to thrive. The sad reality is that any organization that provides access, time, and the ability to build relationships with youth are targeted by offenders. Most people are in youth work for the right reasons, but one toxic person engaging in a group can have detrimental effects on the lives of the youth involved. There is no room for denial or minimization when the health of youth are at stake. This presentation will provide resources to both adults working within YSOs who are diligently trying to keep their programs safe and community members wanting to learn more about warning signs and prevention.

Session Objectives

Participants will

1. Identify why youth-serving organizations are targeted by perpetrators of abuse.
2. Illustrate how offender characteristics can negatively impact reporting.
3. Analyze why many children don’t disclose abuse when it is happening.

Presenter

Alison Feigh, Jacob Wetterling Resource Center at Zero Abuse Project

Alison Feigh, MS, is the Director of Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, a program of Zero Abuse Project. In her 20+ years of missing children advocacy, she works with students, parents, youth workers, faith leaders, law enforcement and the media to help prevent childhood abuse and abductions.

Alison’s work also includes writing curriculum for youth-serving organizations, training professionals about online challenges kids face, and advocating for families of the missing. She is the author of two children’s books and co-author of a textbook, “Sex Crimes and Offenders: Exploring Questions of Character and Culture.” She was recently awarded the 2024 Visionary Voice Award from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.