Group Fights Sex Abuse Nationally
Posted Courtesy of The Post and Courier (http://www.charleston.net)
BY ADAM FERRELL
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Starting next month, someone flipping through a glossy magazine in a California dental office might see an advertisement about the Charleston-based nonprofit organization From Darkness to Light.
Over the beaming faces of four little girls, that person will read: "One of your daughter's friends is being sexually abused."
To do something about that, the person will visit a Web site and download a free, concise booklet.
"Yeah the problem is big, it's real, the consequences are devastating, but here are common-sense, proactive things you can do in the life of one child today," said Anne Lee, the organization's president and CEO. "We don't want to throw people into a hysterical realm, but into a conscious realm."
Two and half years ago, Lee and a handful of folks were brainstorming ways to make local adults aware of the epidemic of child sexual abuse and where to seek help or offer it. They launched a hard-hitting media campaign and education programs, and now From Darkness to Light aims to expand its scope to the national level. National advertisements in 40 popular magazines are part of that effort.
The organization has three national partners.
One is the Alliance of Information Referral Systems, an association of community hot line centers across the country that provide over-the-phone information about and referrals to organizations and government agencies.
Starting next month, anyone in the country can call From Darkness to Light's toll free number and be routed to a local AIRS hot line for information about nearby sexual abuse resources.
Within the next few years, AIRS, with support from the United Way, will evolve into the nationwide 211 system, a health and human service help line that works like 911 and 411.
"Two-one-one is just as excited about partnering with us as we are with them," Lee said. "The work we're doing with them is essentially a template for how they'll process future issues and specific programs."
From Darkness to Light is offering hot line operators at 180 sites across the country free training on handling sexual abuse calls.
The first three-hour class is today, and its 25 participants will be at computers in Tennessee, Montana, Idaho, Louisiana and elsewhere. While looking at material on their screens, they'll be able to hear the instructors in Charleston and ask them questions.
"These people have been answering this type of call for a long time," said Deborah Donovan Rice, director of educational outreach and one of three training instructors. "But now they'll have some common-sense steps they can use to talk with adults about how to get help. We're sharing lessons that we've learned."
Another national partner is the National Children's Alliance, a network of 500 child advocacy centers around the country.
Those centers are implementing From Darkness to Light's educational programming and media campaign.
The third national partner is Justice for Children, an organization that acts as a watchdog for legal and legislative issues related to child safety.
"That partnership is not coming into play right now," Lee said. "But we expect that ... to really expand over the next 12 to 18 months."
Lee described the model as a combination of a top-down approach -- media, and a bottom-up approach -- community education.
The original plan a year ago was to seek funding from corporations and produce a high-budget media campaign.
Those donations did not materialize.
Instead, the organization, which has seven full-time and two part-time staff, pitched its ideas to Time Inc. and the Hearst Corp., and wound up with free magazine ads over the next year.
Learn more about From Darkness to Light at www.darkness2light.org or by calling 965-5444. Call the help line at 1-866-367-5444.
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