LEADING ADVOCACY GROUPS FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE APPLAUD BIDEN ADMIN FOR SWEEPING TITLE IX REFORM, CALL FOR FURTHER FEDERATION ACTION
“The Biden Administration’s proposed changes would help…put survivors of sexual violence at the forefront of justice…but the job is not done”
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Keep Kids Safe, a survivor-led movement of the leading national experts and advocates in the prevention of sexual violence against children and adolescents, today released the following statement applauding the Biden Administration for its proposed reforms to Title IX and urging further federal action to address the epidemic of sexual abuse against minors:
“The current patchwork of laws safeguarding minors from sexual violence in the United States does not provide survivors the access to prevention, healing, and justice that they deserve,” said Katelyn Brewer, President and CEO of Darkness to Light and Keep Kids Safe Movement Chair. “Today’s news from the White House is a welcome first step to changing that.
“The proposed changes would bring an end to forcing survivors of sexual violence to be retraumatized through live hearings and cross-examination on their journey for justice. It would finally allow to schools to investigate and sanction sexual misconduct without a formal complaint. And it would give schools the power to investigate cases of abuse that take place off-campus. By prioritizing justice for survivors of sexual violence as these proposed reforms do, the White House is proving that we can chart a new course – but the job is not done.
“It’s past time for systemic change and to treat this epidemic of violence for what it is: a public health emergency. To appropriately address this crisis, we must urgently implement federal reforms that protect the most vulnerable among us: children and adolescents. Survivors and advocates from across the country have built a blueprint for how to tackle this issue – now we just need Congress to act.”
Background
In November, the Keep Kids Safe Movement released National Blueprint to End Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents which calls for bold and transformative action to protect children from sexual abuse. Among the recommendations for federal policy makers, Keep Kids Safe urges the swift implementation of:
- A senior leadership position in the White House to coordinate action by federal agencies to combat child sexual abuse and elevate the importance of this issue to commensurate with its actual prevalence in the United States.
- A federal interagency Task Force on Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents focused on the prevention, healing, and justice chaired by the White House, to develop and implement a National Plan to End Sexual Violence Against Children and Adolescents.
- A National Summit on Sexual Violence against Children and Adolescents focused on prevention, healing, and justice with appropriate executive agencies and attended by survivors and families, thought leaders, researchers, federal, state, and local leaders, and allied organizations around the U.S. to promote awareness and to generate executive and legislative branch action.
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About the Keep Kids Safe Movement
The Keep Kids Safe Movement is a powerful partnership between organizations, survivors, and allies focused on ending sexual violence against children and adolescents, online and offline, in all its forms – child sexual abuse, incest, child sexual exploitation, rape, sexual violence in dating relationships, and sexual violence among peers. The movement is focused on inclusive, comprehensive, bold and transformative action from leaders including: prevention to protect this and every generation to come, healing for victims, survivors, and their families, and justice for victims and survivors and accountability for perpetrators and institutions who covered up the abuse. For more information, visit our website HERE.