In this undated photo provided by the University of Oregon, students are pictured walking on the Eugene campus.
Courtesy of University of Oregon
Multiple stories about child sexual abuse in schools in Oregon in recent months have drawn outrage and concern. Researchers and therapists who focus on helping child abuse survivors have best practices and prevention strategies, but it has been difficult to gauge how prevalent the abuse actually is. That’s changing in Oregon with a first-of-its-kind study that’s now underway from the University of Oregon’s Center for Childhood Safety and Wellbeing (formerly the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect).
Jeff Todahl, the center’s director, said that a lot of child well-being professionals in other states are waiting to see how the Oregon Child Abuse Prevalence study unfolds.
“Its point is to get a much better sense of the prevalence of child sexual abuse [and other] physical abuse that our kids experience in Oregon. Seeing or hearing intimate partner violence, and then also identity-based violence,” he said.
The study centers around listening to youth, including their recommendations for prevention.
“We’re working to pair some of the hard realities about harm that happens for our kids, inspired by youth recommendations for change,” he said. “Moving that forward with very practical action taken based on what youth are telling us what to do. And I feel really hopeful about that.”
Todahl recommends that schools, businesses and other organizations implement or strengthen the prevention strategies that have been proven to work.
“Like having policies where kids are not left alone with an adult in a one-on-one situation … Being sure that kids are in visible spaces at all times. How we screen who is employed in those settings,” he said. “All of that can make a difference.”
Todahl says one of the most important things to do broadly is to break the culture of silence and shame around both physical abuse and sexual abuse.
In a pilot program the center conducted in Lane County, researchers found that 47 percent of the student respondents — mostly juniors and seniors — hadn’t told a single person about the abuse, not even a peer.
That underlines the need for the study, says Todahl.
“Youth are saying to us ‘Thank you for asking.’ They’re saying, ‘Since you’re asking, you’d better do something about it,’” said Todahl. “One youth said, ‘We can’t be pretending. We need to have a different kind of dialogue with the problem.’ Another said, ‘There is so much shame, embarrassment, and fear involved. We need to reduce the shame and embarrassment and address the fear.’”
The Oregon Child Abuse Prevalence study is expected to be completed in December 2025.
