Health Department

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

It can happen to anyone. Of any culture. Any race. Any gender. Any socio-economic class.  Child sexual abuse knows no boundaries. 

According to Darkness to Light, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse:

• 1 in 10 children in the United States will be sexually abused before the age of 18,
• 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser,
• Of children who are sexually abused, 20 percent are abused before the age of 8.

These alarming numbers speak to the need for prevention efforts by all adults. After all, adults are responsible for the safety of children.

The Knox County Health Department (KCHD) has produced a series of videos to help guide adults through the subject of child sexual abuse and prevention. This four-part series discusses:

• Why children might not tell (about abuse)
• Indicators of (potential) child sexual abuse
• Who can be a perpetrator and how they think
• How to talk to your child about personal body safety
• What a child can do if they feel they are in an unsafe situation
• Reporting abuse

You can learn more about child sexual abuse and prevention by clicking here.

To report a suspected case of child abuse or for more information about child abuse, contact the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) at: 877-237-0004.

Reports can also be made securely at: https://apps.tn.gov/carat.

For more information, you can also contact:

Amy Rowling
Public Health Educator/Violence Prevention Educator
Knox County Health Department
140 Dameron Avenue
Knoxville, TN  37917
(865) 215-5061
amy.rowling@knoxcounty.org