Changing the Conversation Around Child Sexual Abuse

During Tara Christiansen-Stiller’s years working in community health, she has seen the topic of child abuse and neglect become much more predominant in public health discussions. However, there is an important topic that is still hiding in the shadows: child sexual abuse (CSA). 

“It amazes me because child sexual abuse plays such a significant role in so many negative outcomes in the future,” says Christiansen-Stiller, director of the Alaska Resilience Initiative, a program of Alaska Children’s Trust. “It’s concerning that there are little to no primary prevention efforts in Alaska.”

CSA is a significant public health problem in the United States. While determining the percentage of Americans who have experienced CSA is difficult, as many children wait to report or never report abuse, a recent estimate shows that approximately 11 percent of girls and 2 percent of boys under the age of 18 experienced sexual abuse at the hands of an adult perpetrator.

The numbers are even bleaker in Alaska. The 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System report found adverse childhood experiences of sexual abuse reported among adults (before age 18) was 15.9 percent statewide and 16.1 percent in Anchorage.

“We can no longer risk our children’s lives because we don’t want to talk about this issue. We can’t let our comfort level prevent us from addressing it,” says Christiansen-Stiller. “We need to create a safe environment for our children.”

Funding from Anchorage’s new sales tax on alcoholic beverages is going to allow Christiansen-Stiller and other partners to begin doing just that. In April 2020, Anchorage voters passed the new sales tax, with the revenue dedicated to increasing community safety; reducing and preventing child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence; and prevention and treatment of substance misuse, mental health issues and homelessness. 

“I am so happy to be able to utilize these funds to support work that can prevent child sexual abuse,” says Christiansen-Stiller. “Primary prevention is where we need to put our focus, looking at the root causes and going upstream before the abuse happens.”

The funds will be directed at raising awareness of the issue and looking at ways to promote safe, healthy environments to reduce the likelihood of child sexual abuse, she adds. 

We can no longer risk our children’s lives because we don’t want to talk about this issue. We can’t let our comfort level prevent us from addressing it.

Convening Passionate, Committed Stakeholders 

As one of the alcohol tax fund recipients, Alaska Resilience Initiative has three main goals with the funding. First is the convening of stakeholders in Anchorage to gain a greater understanding of the issue and current work being done in the community to address CSA. The first meeting took place in November 2021, and a second will occur in early 2022 to begin action on identified strategies. 

“We’re identifying stakeholders who are passionate and committed to building a framework and strategies that will create a paradigm shift in how the community thinks, acts and prevents child sexual abuse,” Christiansen-Stiller says. “It’s key for more people to get involved in prevention.”

“We want to support existing programs and ongoing work, link arms, and build a movement against child sexual abuse,” she continues. 

Student Posters: A “Sign” My School Cares About Me

Christiansen-Stiller says the second goal with the alcohol tax funds is development of a student safety poster for distribution throughout the Anchorage School District. Different age-appropriate posters will be created for grades K-12. Versions will also be produced in English as well as four additional languages, which is important for inclusivity and access, as more than 100 languages are spoken by students in the district. 

“While we know that the posters are not a substitute for other CSA measures, they are designed to reinforce the message to children that they are valued, that their safety matters and that their schools are committed to ensuring their safety,” Christiansen-Stiller says. 

The posters, which will be complete in early 2022, will also provide information about who to contact if students need help or have concerns about CSA.

Revitalizing Pathway to Hope

Alaska Resilience Initiative’s third goal with the alcohol tax funds is the revitalization of the Pathway to Hope program, which addresses the role of historical trauma in current public health crises. This acknowledgement is important as an emerging body of research links the high rates of adverse childhood experiences, including CSA, among American Indians/Alaska Natives today to the historical trauma suffered by Indigenous populations.

“We need to understand how something in the past affects the current generation and future generations. Trauma passes down from generation to generation. When we recognize this, we can begin to prevent health disparities,” Christiansen-Stiller says. 

Originally developed by Diane Payne at the Tribal Law and Policy Institute, Pathway to Hope was designed to help Alaska Native communities “break the silence” surrounding CSA. The original program was active from 2007 to 2013, but is not currently in use due to lack of funding and Payne’s passing. 

Alaska Resilience Initiative plans to update the Pathway to Hope video and guidebook with current information and present-day leaders and Elders sharing their personal stories of resilience. The program will also train community facilitators, who will use the materials to begin important conversations on CSA prevention and healing, with a focus on Alaska Native and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities. The alcohol tax funds will be dedicated to reaching BIPOC communities in Anchorage, while funding from other sources will allow Pathway to Hope to be implemented in Alaska Native communities statewide.

“The revitalization of Pathway to Hope will give Alaska Native and BIPOC communities a culturally relevant tool to address CSA,” Christiansen-Stiller says. 

Creating Lasting Change Around CSA

While stakeholder convening, poster development and program revitalization are the immediate goals with the new tax funding, Christiansen-Stiller emphasizes that the real mission is to create lasting change in the way people think about, talk about and prevent CSA. 

“This is not a one-time project. We’re not writing a plan and putting it on the shelf. We’re creating a plan and putting it into action,” she says. “We want to see change.”