Article was originally published by the Riverton Journal on April 5, 2024 By: Aimee Winder Newton The numbers are startling…one in seven Utah children are sexually abused before they turn 18 and there is a 91% chance they are abused by someone they know and trust. The chances are high that a child in your social circle is being sexually abused. Children tell an average of three adults that they are being hurt before someone helps them. It is critically important that we believe children if they tell us, and not let our surprise or fears get in the way of protecting them.  I firmly believe ..read more

Article was originally published by KSLTV on March 12, 2024 SALT LAKE CITY — Tuesday, March 12 marks 21 years since Elizabeth Smart was found. Smart was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home as a 14-year-old girl on June 5, 2002. She was missing for nine months until she was found by police in Sandy, Utah on March 12, 2003. Smart reflected on her rescue in a post on her social media. “I believe in miracles,” she said. Sharing photos of her family, her marriage, a marathon she participated in, and other life milestones, she said: “When I was kidnapped I thought I’d never finish school, go to ..read more

This opinion piece was originally published by The Salt Lake Tribune on February 15, 2024 As a survivor, as a mother of four young children and as a believer in the ability of policy to concretely change lives, I urge the passage of SB205, “Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Amendments.” By: Alex Peterson | for The Salt Lake Tribune | February 15, 2024 I was in second grade when a detective called me out of class and interviewed me for fourteen minutes in a room next to my principal’s office. Before clicking the “record” button, he handed me crayons and paper and told me I could color while he aske ..read more

This opinion piece was originally published by The Deseret News on February 6, 2024. By: Kristin Andrus We have a rule in our house: We don’t allow sleepovers.  I posted a reel on Instagram about this recently, and the hundreds of comments from moms like me made it clear that this is a controversial decision. It’s been controversial even in our home — my six kids are clearly upset about this rule, and since many parents do allow sleepovers, it’s easy for them to feel like they’re missing out. And they do — on the good and the bad. But this isn’t a decision we made on a whim, and we explai ..read more

The law funds child sexual abuse prevention for Utah’s elementary schools.  Salt Lake City, UT – The Utah Legislature has taken a significant step towards protecting children from sexual abuse with the passage of Senate Bill 205. This landmark legislation, known as The Safe Child Project was developed in collaboration with The Policy Project who worked together with Prevent Child Abuse Utah, The Elizabeth Smart Foundation, and Saprea. The law aims to implement child sexual abuse prevention programs in elementary schools across the state.  Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Child sexual ab ..read more

You, Your Baby, and Everything in Between by Daniel Rich Babies are essential to the progression of society and it’s the job of parents to create the next generation of leaders. Parenting is no small task and when faced with this enormous responsibility it can be very stressful. From taking care of the baby’s physical health, to understanding their cognitive development, and even to taking care of yourself. It can be easy to feel like you’re failing, but there are ways to overcome these challenges. Beyond that, you have the ability to thrive and create a healthy functioning family. Your relati ..read more

You’ve probably heard adults talk about how resilient children are. How they have an innate ability to magically bounce back from any situation, regardless of the trauma involved. But this is not true. Research suggests that child maltreatment can lead to mental health problems that persist into adulthood, such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, and depression. It can also prevent healthy child development, putting them at risk for lifelong issues. At our child abuse prevention center in Utah, we believe the long-term impact of child abuse cannot be overstate ..read more

School counselors touch so many lives at once. Their role is simple: to help students achieve academic and personal success, so they can continue chasing their dreams. This could be as simple as coaching younger kids in their interests or guiding high-schoolers through the college application maze.  But their job doesn’t stop at these rewarding moments. It dives into deeper, more challenging waters.  In a perfect world, school counselors would only focus on academics. But the reality is starkly different. Many students come from backgrounds of abuse or neglect, or they might be grapp ..read more

Physical abuse can have profound and lasting negative effects on a child’s physical, emotional, psychological and social well-being. It involves intentional acts of violence, aggression, or harm inflicted on a child by an adult. In simple terms, physical abuse is anything that leaves a long-lasting mark. In Utah, parents are allowed to spank their children for discipline if they choose to. However, the spanking cannot result in a lasting mark on the child’s body. Physical indicators can include bruises, welts, black eyes, bloody noses, or internal injuries such as broken bones. Any kind of con ..read more

What is child neglect? Child neglect is often the most frequent form of abuse. It takes place when parents (or caregivers) deprive a child of their basic needs. These needs include: Adequate supervision Love and attention Health care Clothing Housing In addition, a child might experience deprivation of physical, emotional, social, educational, and safety needs These needs are important building blocks for a child during their development. When subjected to it, children are at a higher risk of developing lifelong social, emotional, and health problems. These risks become even higher if the ne ..read more