Stamford JCC Paves Prevention Path!

I'm so happy to announce that the Stamford, Connecticut JCC (Jewish Community Center) is the first JCC in the U.S. to attain the Partner In Prevention designation from Darkness To Light! It is also the first, and only, organization in Connecticut to have attained the designation! Partner In Prevention status is earned by an organization when at least 90% of its staff have been trained in D2L's Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention training for adults. Almost 100% of Stamford's staff have been trained! Additionally, the JCC has been delivering the award-winning Stewards prevention training to other organizations in the Stamford area since May 2012. To date, almost 300 adults have been trained under the JCC's tutelage.
Why am I proud? Because I am the Darkness To Light instructor who had the privilege of training the trainers, the JCC's facilitators who are now out there educating their community. The JCC's effort, under the direction of CEO, Eric Koehler, and Associate Executive Director, Nancy Schiffman, has been committed and impassioned from Day 1, an outgrowth of their belief that community adults have a responsibility to keep kids as safe as possible. It's been an honor to get to know them and to have been, even in a small way, a part of their great team.
If you would like to learn more about earning Partner In Prevention status from Darkness to Light, click here.
If you are in or near Stamford, CT and would like more info about the JCC's trainings, contact Nancy Schiffman at nschiffman@stamfordjcc.org or 203-322-7900.
My hat is off to Eric, Nancy and their entire team for turning intention into action, creating this initiative and running with it. No doubt, there will be many, many children in their sphere living safer, happier, more whole lives because of their efforts.

"This Is Grotesque"

Kudos to ad man (and fellow UPenn '79 grad) Donny Deutsch for excoriating a recent ad campaign from France featuring young girls in lingerie. Asked for his opinion on the Today show, Deutsch was direct and unwavering in his outrage: "This is grotesque...I hope the authorities look at them." "Disgusting." And for me, the most important statement of all: "The kids are victims here."
Yes, they are. Everyone, every adult, who participated in the creation and distribution of the campaign is complicit in the victimization of the coiffed, adorned, photographed and viewed around the world children. I will not even link to the Today interview or accompanying article because doing so would further circulate the images.
Let's be clear: anyone who claims that this is all in fun, or girls just dressing up is lying. And the photographed girls aren't the only people affected by the images: every viewer, young and old, male and female, walks away with an image and a strong message, normalizing such sexualization. We have far too many pedophiles in the world now; we don't need to be offering further stimulation in the form of legitimized child pornography.
Child sexual abuse is an insidious problem, epidemic in its proportions. Part of my job is to wake up adults as to how their thoughts and actions, intentionally or not, perpetuate CSA. The other part is to educate them on what they can do to prevent it.
I encourage you to speak up, express your outrage. Refuse to purchase products marketed in such a manner and the outlets that feature the ads. Take a stand. Our children's safety and well-being depends on it.