LANCASTER, Pa. — As part of National Child Abuse Awareness Month, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office this week highlighted the work of its Campaign Against Sexual Exploitation, or CASE.
"The campaign has a mission to engage the Lancaster County community in protecting our children against sexual exploitation and abuse and to empower all people to speak out against offenders," the DA's Office said.
CASE is a national campaign created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to engage elected officials and educate communities on issues related to the sexual victimization of minors and its prevention.
The campaign reports one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually victimized before they reach adulthood and that less than 35% of these crimes are reported to law enforcement.
CASE exists to give these children a voice and protect them. The goal is to raise awareness and increase education in our county about these issues.
"Lancaster County has a task force that provides tools and resources to communities, families, and children to minimize the risks and encourage preventive behaviors in the community," the DA's Office said.
On the local level, CASE members include YWCA Lancaster, Spanish American Civic Association, Safe Communities, Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, Lancaster County Chiefs of Police, Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency, Lancaster County Juvenile Probation, Office of State Senator Scott Martin, Penn State College of Nursing and Zoe International.
Resources provided on the local level include:
- Presentations for schools, churches and any interested organization involving brief overview of the laws that cover cyber-related crimes, specifically regarding image sharing and what are commonly known as sexting or sextortion.
- Free copies of the book "No Secrets Between Us," which is designed to educate youth (preschool through 3rd grade) on inappropriate touch and to tell an adult if it occurs.
- Printed informational materials
- Camera covers (see below)
Members and informational resources on the state level include PA Childline and PA Megan’s Law. National members and informational resources include NetSmartz, an online safety educational tool developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the NCMEC Cyber Tipline and Common Sense Media, which is an online guide to the various media children are exposed to that will aid parents/teachers/etc. in determining safety and appropriateness.
Reporting Child Abuse: Call the Childline at (800) 932-0313, which is available 24 hours a day to receive reports of suspected child abuse. You can also visit the CASE website.
For more information or to be further helped in connecting with resources, contact the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office at CASE@co.lancaster.pa.us or 717-299-8100.
