The Joe Paterno Statue, Sanctions, and Looking Forward

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL, July 23, 2012 – Many will question whether Joe Paterno's statue needed to be removed from Penn State's campus; noting the important work he did for the community, the university, and the athletes he coached.

Many more will decry the NCAA and Big Ten’s decision to punish Penn State in the unprecedented fashion they have. They will say things like Penn State paid for the very investigation it is being punished for producing, a report that saved the NCAA and Big Ten countless dollars and time.

And even more will also ask why student athletes who had nothing to do with this horrible situation and the university at large should be punished for the actions, and non-actions, of the few who chose to do nothing, or worse, cover-up this case.

To make these arguments, however, is to ignore and blatantly dismiss the most important aspect of the situation: children were harmed and it could have been avoided

And because of this, there has to be not just consequences for this failure, but severe consequences. The leadership at Penn State, however, is looking forward, and we agree that to focus on these efforts, and offer our support along with the collective wisdom of our 49 state chapters nationally is the right thing to do.

We also think that this is a moment where we should all recognize that there are organizations at our nation’s universities and colleges, and in communities across the country, that have been doing the right things on behalf of children for some time; and we all should take a moment to find out more about those organizations and how to support them: 

• Our national partners Darkness to Light - here - and Stop It Now! - here -, as well as, Prevent Child Abuse America - here; and


• Local organizations in communities like yours, including the Enough Abuse Campaign - here, The SAFE-T Program - here, Healthy Families America - here, and many others you can learn more about by contacting the Prevent Child Abuse America chapter in your state - here.

"We must recognize that the sanctions imposed today begin to correct a wrong that needs to be righted,” said James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America. “We also must recognize that for the survivors of these terrible acts, it will take more than the ‘punishment’ of a university for them to heal, and our thoughts and prayers are with them. As a nation, we must ensure that the abuse of children never occurs. Prevention is possible; we know what to do, now let’s see if we have the public and political will to not just change laws, but renew our commitment to children and change the norms of a culture that allowed this to even happen in the first place."

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ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA

Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We believe that communities across the country are doing innovative things with great results to prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring, and what we need to do as a nation is commit to bringing this kind of ingenuity to communities everywhere. Based in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has chapters in 49 states and over 400 Healthy Families America home visitation sites in 37 states, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. For more information, please visit here and here.

Prevent Child Abuse America, Stop It Now!, and Darkness to Light's letter to Columbia Pictures regarding the release of "That's My Boy."

Yesterday we shared the STATEMENT - here - we released along with Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! regarding our position on the release of the new Adam Sandler movie "That's My Boy." In the STATEMENT we reference the letter we sent to Columbia Pictures spelling out our concerns and providing a series of responses we suggest Columbia Pictures pursue in partnership with our organizations to adress these concerns. Today we want to share that letter with you.


May 21, 2012


Jeff Blake, Vice Chairman
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group,
Worldwide Marketing and Distribution
10202 West Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232

Dear Mr. Blake,

After reading numerous media stories about the content of Columbia Pictures new movie “That’s My Boy,” we are very concerned that that this picture makes light of statutory rape in its depiction of a thirteen-year old boy’s sexual relationship with his teacher at school. The mission of our organizations is to prevent child abuse and neglect of any type before it ever occurs. This mission is helped when we engage individuals, organizations and “institutions” to recognize a collective responsibility to ensure our nation’s children have an opportunity for healthy child development.

One such responsibility is to ensure that the portrayal of abuse is not treated with humor. “That’s My Boy” has crossed this line and indicates that there is some confusion about the appropriate response to the idea that a thirteen-year old boy is in a sexual relationship with an adult authority figure. This is rape, plain and simple, and the idea that it would be portrayed as titillating or cool is an antiquated understanding of sexual abuse and healthy child development. This confusion must be eliminated through deliberate actions by responsible adults who share a common vision that all children have the right to a happy and abuse-free childhood.

We believe the controversy around this movie and how you choose to handle it, however, provides us with an opportunity to join forces, advance this cause and further educate the public that we not only all play a role in children’s lives, but that all adults are responsible for the prevention of child sexual abuse. Given this, we would like to propose that our respective organizations partner to:

 Provide sexual abuse prevention training to your creative and marketing staff members;

 Create a series of public service announcements that (1) provide parents and communities with vital sexual abuse prevention information and tips and (2) advocate for public policies that support sexual abuse prevention programming; and/or

 Visit the websites of the three signers of this letter for the FAQ’s.

We believe that together we have the chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children. We will follow-up in the near future to explore the ways in which we may accomplish this. In the meantime, feel free to contact James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, at (312) 663-3520, extension 810.


Sincerely,


Prevent Child Abuse America

Stop It Now!

Darkness to Light

New Adam Sandler movie “That’s My Boy” glorifies outdated views on healthy sexuality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL, June 7, 2012 - Numerous media outlets are reporting that Adam Sandler’s new movie “That’s My Boy” makes light of statutory rape in its depiction of a thirteen-year old boy’s sexual relationship with his teacher at school. That relationship results in the teacher’s pregnancy, a jail sentence, and Sandler’s character being forced to raise the child himself. When the child turns eighteen, he leaves home and does not interact with his father again until the eve of his wedding, when the Sandler character shows up at his home in need of money.

Some will argue in defense of this movie by stating that the story ultimately focuses on the characters’ reconciliation and that since the movie is a comedy, advocates such as organizations like Prevent Child Abuse America, Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! are taking the story line too seriously. We would suggest that these arguments are specious at best. They do not excuse the movie’s outdated views on child sexuality, and the sexuality of boys specifically, much less the long term impact of sexual abuse on children. Nor do these arguments ameliorate the fact that the corporate culture of Columbia Pictures and Happy Madison Productions is one that embraces child rape as a means for making a profit.

“It goes without saying,” stated Jim Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “that Adam Sandler and Columbia Pictures would never have made a similar movie about a thirteen-year old girl and a teacher of hers, so how is it that in 2012 they still find it acceptable to make such a movie about a character who is a boy? This is a movie about rape, plain and simple, and while we could have an endless dialogue about how this is a comedy, or a story that highlights the resilience of children, I call upon the viewing public to express their strong disapproval. Along with my colleagues from Darkness to Light and Stop It Now! we have sent the producers of the film an offer to discuss how misguided this attempt at humor is, and what message can be salvaged from this screenplay. All of us regardless of what we do in our lives have a responsibility to the children and families in this country. I suggest we figure out together how they can fulfill that responsibility in a way that supports the healthy child development of all children.”

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ABOUT PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AMERICA

Prevent Child Abuse America, founded in 1972, works to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development. We believe that communities across the country are doing innovative things with great results to prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring, and what we need to do as a nation is commit to bringing this kind of ingenuity to communities everywhere. Based in Chicago, Prevent Child Abuse America has chapters in 49 states and over 400 Healthy Families America, home visitation sites in 37 states, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. For more information, please visit here and here.

ABOUT DARKNESS TO LIGHT

Darkness to Light is a national non-profit organization with the mission to empower people to prevent child sexual abuse. We do this by increasing public awareness of the issue, educating adults to prevent, recognize the signs and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, and by engaging communities in building and sustaining child sexual abuse prevention initiatives. Learn more here.

ABOUT STOP IT NOW!

Stop It Now! ® prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. We provide support, information and resources so individuals and families around the world can keep children safe and create healthier communities. Read more here.

Alliance Seeks to Make Child Sexual Abuse Prevention a National Priority

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC -- June 4th, 2012 – Three national organizations combating child sexual abuse (CSA) are working diligently in an alliance to support and enhance federal government policies and procedures that will make CSA prevention a national priority.
 
Darkness to Light, Stop It Now!, and Prevent Child Abuse America have created the CSA Prevention Alliance (Alliance) to introduce a new national standard for CSA prevention and intervention. The Alliance supports federal agencies in finding ways to integrate child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention policies and practices into schools, child/youth-serving organizations, law enforcement agencies and other federally funded programs.
 
“The Alliance members came together to collaboratively focus our organizational efforts toward a primary goal: children and youth grow up protected from sexual abuse,” said Deborah Donovan Rice, Executive Director of Stop It Now! “Abuse is preventable when the best available tools are matched by a strong will to protect, whether at the community level or the federal government level. This is what Alliance members have learned over their more than 60 years of combined experience.”
 
The Alliance continues to advocate for federal agencies to proactively respond to this national outcry by advancing policies that better protect children from abuse. The Alliance suggests that federal agencies can improve child protection by including grant special conditions that would require grantees to implement CSA prevention policies and procedures. For example a grant special condition could require CSA prevention training for all adults involved in the program.
 
Due in part to the ongoing investigations and legal proceedings at Penn State, the public is voicing outrage at the lack of protection of children by adults in roles of responsibility.
 
“The Penn State revelations have brought the issue of child sexual abuse to the forefront of national public consciousness for the first time,” said Jolie Logan, President and CEO, Darkness to Light. “This provides an unprecedented opportunity to create real and lasting change in how we, as a society, protect children.”
 
Federal efforts such as the Department of Health and Human Service’s Federal Interagency Work Group on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Justice Department’s Defending Childhood Initiative are encouraging. The Alliance seeks to assist more federal agencies to find ways to integrate CSA prevention policies and practices into all child/youth-serving organizations and professions. As participants in the National Coalition to Prevent Child Abuse and Exploitation, the Alliance also works to support the National Plan to Prevent the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.
 
“During the presidential campaign season there will be on-going debate about what constitutes the role of government in people’s lives,” says James M. Hmurovich, President & CEO, Prevent Child Abuse America, “but there should be no debate about whether the federal government has the potential to positively impact the lives of all children by playing an active role in the prevention of child sexual abuse. The Sandusky allegations provide an opportunity for the federal government to assume a leadership role to craft policies, ranging from educating adults about what they can do to prevent child sexual abuse to asking youth serving organizations to implement comprehensive child sexual abuse prevention policies and practices. This is not just the smart thing to do, but the right thing to do, and to use the Sandusky case as a call to action.”

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Darkness to Light - 7 Radcliffe Street, Charleston, SC 29403 - 843-965-5444
Prevent Child Abuse America - 228 S. Wabash Avenue - 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604 - 312-663-3520
Stop It Now! - 351 Pleasant Street - Suite B-319 Northampton, MA 01060 - 413-587-3500