One in Ten

How do we persuade people more effectively and more authentically? And how does telling our own leadership story help those we’re trying to persuade to trust us and what we’re trying to do? Storytelling, and using it to make human connections, is a key part of the answer. We spoke with Sally Zimney, the author of Speaking Story, to learn more.  Topics in this episode: 02:41 – Origin story 06:22 –...

Black children and other children of color are less likely to be believed when reporting sexual violence and are considered less credible by jurors. But in multidisciplinary team settings, we pride ourselves on openly discussing all aspects of a case and coming into a case neutrally and allowing the disclosure and any corroborating evidence to determine the future direction of a case. But are we o...

When it comes to child sexual abuse and exploitation, a new look at the U.S. shows we’re not doing very well. Economist Impact's Out of the Shadows Index report, supported by World Childhood Foundation USA, sets key indicators for performance on child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention and intervention. And it benchmarks against those indicators in 28 different states—and counting; ther...

Dr. Arline T. Geronimus coined the term “weathering” to describe the effects of systemic oppression—including racism and classism—on the body. In 2023, she published Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society to shine a light on the topic and offer a roadmap for hope. This summer, she joined us at the 2024 NCA Leadership Conference to share her research with child a...

Would you recognize grooming if you saw it? We all think we know what it means, but that doesn’t mean we’re any good at spotting it—even if we’re parents determined to protect our kids from abuse. In fact, if anything, we’re overconfident about our ability to recognize grooming behaviors. Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic returns to One in Ten to discuss recent research on the topic.  Topics in this episode: 0...

All of us have had to give more thought to climate change and its effects in recent years. But to what degree have we yet reckoned with the way in which climate change may increase violence against children? Which children are most likely to be affected? What preventative measures can we take now to help mitigate that risk? And how should this knowledge shape our services to children and families,...

Cases involving problematic sexual behavior are between a quarter and a third of all cases of child sexual abuse that come through Children’s Advocacy Centers. How do we understand this behavior in teens? What are risk factors and key opportunities to interrupt and disrupt this behavior? What do we know about evidence-supported treatment for these teens? And how may existing evidence-based treatme...

Child sex trafficking is not a new phenomenon. And thankfully, the general public and child abuse professionals have greater awareness than ever of it. But has the full story yet been told? To what extent has the experience of boys been a part of our understanding of sex trafficking of children and youth? What places boys at special risk for trafficking? What vulnerabilities do they have and how m...

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more than three times more likely to experience abuse and neglect than children without these disabilities. We should see a prevention landscape filled with programs tailored to these children. Yet, as Dr. Melissa Bright from the Center for Violence Prevention Research tells us, few such programs exist, and even fewer have been research...

While the presence of child sexual abuse images in child sexual abuse cases is not new, the sheer scale and scope and ubiquity of it all is. The exponential growth in the trading of these images has created a sophisticated marketplace designed around exploiting children. Three guests join us today to discuss child sexual abuse materials online (CSAM): Elizabeth and Ted Cross and Stefan Turkheimer....

The rise in myths and conspiracy theories about human trafficking have been one of the most frustrating parts of being a child abuse professional over the past few years. It has been a deadly game of whack a mole, because as soon as one myth or conspiracy theory is debunked, yet another arises. Dr. Maureen Kenny, a professor of psychology at Florida International University, set out to explore why...

Geoff Sidoli joins us from NCA’s Institute for Better Mental Health Outcomes to talk about kids with sexual behavior problems. Myths abound about why these kids act out, how treatable they are, and what treatment settings and methods may be most helpful. But research shows that these kids are treatable. So how do we set these kids on a better life trajectory and improve safety at home and in the c...

Homeschooling is the fastest-growing form of education in the U.S., a surge in popularity that crosses every demographic, political, and geographic line. Most parents who homeschool do so with their children’s very best interests in mind. But what about that small but very critical percentage of parents who homeschool in order to hide their child from public view and abuse them? How do we create a...

To truly address child physical abuse, we have to understand the scope of the problem and how the use of corporal punishment can escalate to the point in which children are harmed. What Dr. Amy Slep and her team did was to set up their research in such a way that it was truly anonymous, and parents could feel very safe to be completely honest about their use of corporal punishment and even their o...

In the mid-90s, little was known about how to effectively treat trauma, especially that trauma that can arise from child sexual abuse. Victims often languished in treatment for years with symptoms that might—or might not—ever improve. Then more research emerged on evidence-based treatments. These effective treatments—with Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) at the fore—were brief,...

One of the most compelling problems in child sexual abuse prevention has been how to describe to parents, caregivers, and the general public exactly what signs to look for to identify concerns. Frankly, much of the discussion has been so general because, what might, with hindsight, have been a sign of abuse, might well in another setting be of no concern at all. Describing what grooming behaviors...

Research shows that about 75% of physical abuse starts as physical discipline gone terribly awry. We have years of data showing spanking is ineffective—and, in fact, harmful to kids. But often the topic is treated as a third rail by many child abuse professionals: avoided and ignored. We spoke to Stacie LeBlanc, CEO of The UP Institute and a champion of No Hit Zones. Why is it so difficult for chi...

We struggle to understand and talk about the link between poverty and child abuse. On the one hand, we know that not every poor family abuses and neglects their children, and we don’t want to stigmatize families for their poverty. On the other hand, there is a growing body of literature on the cascading effects of poverty in the lives of families. Paul Bywaters, professor of social work at the Uni...

In most countries around the world, girls are disproportionately at risk of, and harmed by, both sexual abuse and exploitation. But we also know that all genders experience sexual violence. And every trauma victim and survivor deserves tailored treatment and care. So what do we know about how boys experience sexual exploitation? What are the unique stigmas and burdens that they bear? How do we tai...

Child sexual abuse is never a child’s fault. Absolutely never. And it’s unrealistic to expect children to somehow fend off the predations of adult offenders. But do jurors believe that? Dr. Jonathan Golding, professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, asked: What do potential jurors believe about children and resisting abuse? How do these beliefs shape their understanding of who is resp...

For professionals, one of the saddest aspects of child sexual abuse is the way in which many victims struggle with blaming themselves for the terrible actions of others. This self-blame and feelings of guilt can cause suffering throughout a lifespan if it’s left untreated. Many evidence-based interventions specifically target these negative feelings and erroneous thoughts. But how do children come...

In this panel discussion recorded at the 2023 NCA Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 6, 2023, Dr. Melissa Brymer, Dr. Angela Moreland, and licensed mental health counselor Melissa Sommerville who speak from their personal experience in responding to incidents of mass violence in Sandy Hook; Charleston, South Carolina; Buffalo, New York; and more. How can organizations that support...

In our culture, when we think of examples of leadership bravery, we often think of huge risk and very heroic images. Hollywood reinforces this with movies like Sully , about a pilot that landed his plane on the Hudson River, or war movies—really, too many to even name. And business TED Talks and articles likewise focus on turnaround artists or grandiose start-ups. Once we set aside the fictionaliz...

Everyone’s heard of the vengeful ex-wife who accuses her ex-husband of child abuse just to get back at him during a divorce. There’s even a scientific-sounding term for it: parental alienation. But is parental alienation real? And are judges taking allegations of abuse seriously enough? In this rebroadcast of one of our earliest shows, we speak to Prof. Joan Meier from George Washington University...

In 1998, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study showed that traumatic events in childhood were common and could have lasting effects—on everything from SAT scores while we’re in school to long-term physical health issues as adults. But are all ACEs created equal? In this rebroadcast of an intriguing interview from our first season, we invite Dr. Lisa Amaya-Jackson from the National Center...