Your NAASCA Newsletter: for survivors / activists | August 2018
a non profit 501(c)3

Because of you, more kids are being protected,
more adult survivors served!

NAASCA has a single purpose, to address issues related to childhood abuse and trauma including sexual assault, violent or physical abuse, emotional traumas and neglect .. and we do so from two specific perspectives :

  • educating the public, especially as related to getting society over the taboo of discussing childhood sexual abuse, presenting the facts that show child abuse to be a pandemic, worldwide problem that affects everyone

  • offering hope for healing through numerous paths, providing many services to adult survivors of child abuse and information for anyone interested in the many issues involving prevention, intervention and recovery

Building a survivor community ...
because together we can do what we cannot do alone .   
Welcome to the August 2018 Newsletter

Thank you for subscribing to NAASCA's newsletter mailing list!
Please encourage others to stay in touch too.


'#metooCSA' - this month's newsletter theme


Significant Dates in August:

12th is International Youth Day
  • first designated by the UN General Assembly in 1999
  • This year's theme is "Safe Spaces for Youth" including civic spaces to engage in governance issues; public spaces to participate in sports and other leisure activities; digital spaces for youth interact virtually across borders; and spaces to accommodate the needs of diverse youth especially those vulnerable to marginalization or violence.
  • To learn more visit the official Webpage


19th is World Humanitarian Day
  • This day is to bring attention to the millions of civilians affected by armed conflict every day, including the children who struggle to find food, water, and safe shelter, who are recruited and used to fight, and have their homes and schools destroyed.. 
  • This year focuses on the #NotATarget movement and demands world leaders to do everything in their power to protect all civilians in conflict.
  • You can watch and share the Youtube video for this campaign.

. Get Connected on Social Media !!

There are many ways to connect with other NAASCA members online and to stay in-the-know about NAASCA updates. Just click the links below to join us for networking, discussion groups, resources and support from other NAASCA members, and to access useful information. Ask a question, comment on a post, and share your personal experiences, artwork, poetry, blogs, and helpful links with other survivors. We would love to hear from you!

NAASCA's Mobile Site
You can access NAASCA's many  FREE  services, tools, programs and resources easily over your smart phone or tablet! Make comments, like or share things on the social media sites listed above, get  Blue Ribbons,  or even make a tax-deductible contribution to   support our work !

What is CSA? Let's Talk About It.

CSA = Childhood Sexual Abuse
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The first part of NAASCA's mission statement is:
Educating the public, especially as related to getting society over it's taboo of discussing childhood sexual abuse, presenting facts showing child abuse to be a pandemic, worldwide problem that affects everyone. 

NAASCA CEO Bill Murray created the #metooCSA after reading the article How #MeToo is leaving child victims behind to bring child victims of sexual abuse and assault into the discussion of the #metoo movement that primarily focuses on adult victims of sexual assault.

But What is Childhood Sexual Abuse?

  • While definitions vary in different countries or even in different states the US Federal Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act defines sexual abuse as the use, persuasion, or forcing of a child to engage in sexual acts or imitation of such acts.

  • Child sexual abuse is not solely restricted to physical contact; such abuse could include non-contact abuse, such as exposure, voyeurism, and child pornography 

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Who Are the Perpetrators of CSA?

We tend to think of pedophiles in a certain way that leaves people uninformed of the true nature of the problem. The word pedophile typically is associated with a sinister or creepy looking man lurking around playgrounds or schools waiting to kidnap or lure a child who wanders too far from the crowd. We also tend to think that anyone who sexually abuses a child must have had a terrible childhood and were likely themselves abused as a child. While this may be true in a few cases, the overwhelming majority of the time offenders do not fit these stereotyped images.


  • Approximately 1/3 of offenders are themselves juveniles and 40-80% of juvenile sex offenders have themselves been victims of sexual abuse 

  • Some perpetrators are female. While the majority of reported cases point to male offenders, it is estimated that women are the abusers in about 14% of cases reported among boys and 6% of cases reported among girls.

  • Only 14% of children who suffered sexual abuse were violated by an unknown perpetrator ... meaning 86% of the time it is someone the child knows ... and for 60% of sexually abused children it is by someone in their social circle (someone they know well)

  • Only 6.2% of adult offenders were themselves sexually abused a child
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How Can We Work to Prevent CSA?

This information is significant because it changes the way we need to teach our children about sexual abuse such as doing away with the idea of "stranger danger" and instead focusing on body safety, consent, and how to safely report. When we use language to talk about pedophiles we should pick gender neutral terms and emphasize that sexual abuse can be committed by any person of any gender and of any age.

It also points out areas that need more extensive research to better understand the problem. For example the number of female perpetrators may actually be much higher than currently have statistics for because of the number of cases of child sexual abuse that go unreported and the tendency of the public to respond to a child reporting a female offender by brushing it off.

Prevention programs need to be developed to target not only adult offenders but to identify and intervene with the under 18-year-old offenders. In these circumstances we are sadly most often dealing with child victims who then become offenders to other children. Research is needed to understand how to identify at-risk youth and what therapeutic interventions can best prevent offending or recidivism.

What if I Suspect a Child is a Victim of CSA ?

Maybe you have a suspicion that a child is being abused based on something you’ve witnessed, or a child has told you that abuse is happening.
Either way, it’s your responsibility to report it to the authorities.

  • You do not need to have proof, only reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion means that you have witnessed physical or behavioral signs of maltreatment, either in the child or parent/caregiver, or both. Or, you have received a disclosure from a child about abuse or boundary violations towards them.

  • State laws vary, but most states have mandatory reporting laws that legally require you to report suspected abuse and can result in financial penalties, jail time, or loss of professional licenses for those who don't.
Provides 24/7 assistance in 170 languages to adults, children and youth with information and questions regarding child abuse. All calls are anonymous and confidential. 

To see a listing of phone numbers to call and report suspected child sexual abuse by state, CLICK HERE .
Know the Signs of CSA !!
Unlike with other forms of child abuse, it can be difficult to detect a victim of sexual abuse because there are not usually physical outward signs.

It is also important to note that the signs to look for are different in younger child victims and teen victims.

According to the website www.childwelfare.gov the lists below are the main signs to look for in a child's pattern of behavior that could mean the child is a victim of CSA. Note that a child may not show all of these signs. If a child is even showing one or more of these signs, it is highly likely the child is in need of help from a professional.

If you notice these behaviors, please protect the child by making a report to the local authorities or child welfare agency in your region. (Such as the numbers listed in the previous segment of this newsletter.)
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NOTE:   For a list of many more of the signs and symptoms of the sexually abused child, to learn why most children don't tell, to find out how sexual predators silence children, and for many other resources ... please visit NAASCA's Prevention and Intervention Page.

Have You Visited NAASCA's Sister Site ?
Los Angeles Community Policing (LACP) is another 5-013c non-profit founded by NAASCA's founder and CEO, Bill Murray, and works in partnership with NAASCA. It is a grassroots group of private citizen volunteers that have never been in law enforcement and have no affiliation with any political group, nor with any police entity or union.

LACP's mission is not only public safety, but goes further .. to provide a forum for the dissemination of information, sharing of ideas and suggesting of ways the community can become involved in keeping our streets safe, and improving the quality of life, and participation from the entire community, civilian, sworn and government official alike, is encouraged and welcomed.

While it is based on community policing efforts in the Los Angeles area, all NAASCA members regardless of location are invited to:




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Here are only a few of the vast wealth of the free resources, information, and services offered by LACP :

LACP's Facebook Page

LACP's weekly online streaming radio show Community Matters to discuss public safety issues and current event articles from website.

Crime Stoppers TipSubmit™ Mobile free application for Android™ and iPhone™ which is the first mobile application that allows the public to anonymously submit tips (including images and video) to law enforcement agencies including LAPD to help solve and prevent crime.  


Have You Participated in NAASCA's Radio Show Lately ?



Live shows air 8 PM EST / 5 PM PAC

Sundays for the ' Community Matters ' show based on this week's public safety articles from the LACP website.

Mon-Fri for the ' Stop Child Abuse Now ' (SCAN) show. Topics include child abuse prevention and intervention, special guests sharing their stories, and recovery help for survivors of child abuse.
Participate By Phone !
Your voice matters to us and to those listening! We encourage ALL of our NAASCA Members to participate in the discussion as often as possible by calling in during the live shows to share your questions and comments OR you can also simply just listen-in by phone. The number to call is:
( 646) 595-2118

Listen and Participate in the Online Chatroom !
You can listen online through a browser on your computer or mobile device to live shows and past episodes in our archive at the Blogtalk Radio website. During live shows scroll down the page under the show description while listening to find the chatroom where where you can participate via live chat and have your comments read on the air.
( Note: You must have first created a free Blogtalk account to write in the chat room. )

A Note from Our Founder and CEO:
Healing from child abuse and trauma can be a very lonely journey .. but you'll never be alone again, a day at a time, if you don't want to be !!
NAASCA belongs to no other group and receives no outside funding. We're self-supporting through our own members' voluntary contributions.
Please consider a one time
or recurring donation .
Thanking you for all you do in the fight against child abuse and trauma and welcoming you to engage with your NAASCA family, I remain, as always,

Yours in service,

Bill Murray , Founder and CEO
National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse.   
NAASCA | a 501(c3 | 323 / 552-6150 |  Bmurray3d@aol.com | NAASCA.org