We are Prostasia Foundation, a child protection organization whose mission is prevention-focused, evidence-based and sex-positive. Find out more by watching our new introduction video featuring @DrGTenbergen. https://prostasia.org. https://youtu.be/cLALe5WlXl4
We're thrilled to announce that @DrGTenbergen will serve as the Prostasia Foundation's next Executive Director. With over a decade of experience as a renowned child protection researcher and an unwavering commitment to upholding human rights, Dr. Tenbergen's leadership will set the stage for a new era in our groundbreaking work. https://prostasia.org/?na=archive&email_id=128
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Hi. We should probably post an #introduction. We're Prostasia Foundation, a new kind of child protection organization. I think I'll let our About page (found at http://prostasia.org/about) #introduce us:
Protecting children from sexual abuse is a cause that everyone can unite behind. Often, however, the measures we take to combat child sexual abuse (CSA) are less effective than they should be, because they are driven by emotion rather than evidence. In striving to protect children from abuse, we may end up harming them and others.
Prostasia Foundation addresses this problem by…
- helping to fund sound scientific research on CSA prevention.
- engaging with diverse stakeholders whose voices are not normally heard.
- addressing the human rights impacts of child protection laws and policies.
- communicating the results of our research and engagement to policymakers, platforms, and the public.
This uniquely balanced, rights-respecting and evidence-based approach to CSA prevention allows us not only to protect children from abuse, but also to reduce the separate harms caused to children and others by our society’s predominantly reactive child protection agenda.
We accept donations. You can find more info about that here: https://prostasia.org/donate/
And, as of 2022 we are all-volunteer run. You can find more information about joining our all-volunteer staff here (LGBTQ+ people and sex workers are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply!): https://forum.prostasia.org/t/prostasia-foundation-role-documentation/2350
New research shows that ongoing concern about the resurfacing of sexual images varies considerably among CSAM survivors and strongly depends on whether they think the images are available. https://www.unh.edu/ccrc/sites/default/files/media/2024-11/persisting-concerns-paper.pdf
"The fight for health begins with the most fundamental right: clean air and water. Without them, all else falls away." https://theintercept.com/2024/11/14/rfk-jr-health-human-services-water-air-project-2025/
We need solid public health policies to prevent sexual violence.
"Advocates had warned Tennessee lawmakers during this year’s legislative session that the law would be particularly harmful for students prone to frequent outbursts or disruptive behavior as a result of a disability." https://www.propublica.org/article/tennessee-school-threats-arresting-kids-with-disabilities
"To assist prevention efforts, we need to continue to debunk misconceptions about female sexual offending. We also need to challenge those who minimise the abuse of female perpetrators." https://buff.ly/4fpUXU4
People who harm children are often people we trust, in positions of power or authority, across jobs or political spectrum. https://gizmodo.com/jeffrey-epstein-had-photos-of-donald-trump-with-young-girls-reporter-claims-2000519590
"What we've really got here, for the most part, is a bunch of adult men and women trying to engage in private and consensual sexual activity—and the state saying, no, you should go to jail for that." https://buff.ly/4hgS49h
How we report on child sexual abuse, matters to finding effective #prevention solutions. Would you be able to tell good from bad reporting? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15205436.2024.2335344#abstract
"But using AI could complicate investigations and carry its own ethical concerns, Goldberg warned, as child safety experts and law enforcement warn that the Internet is increasingly swamped with AI-generated CSAM." https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/09/cops-lure-pedophiles-with-ai-pics-of-teen-girl-ethical-triumph-or-new-disaster/
If we treat sexual harms as a preventable public health issue, it means people get the help that they need before they make decisions that require #police intervention. This also reduces interactions that children have with police. https://www.npr.org/2024/08/29/nx-s1-4917976/juvenile-miranda-rights-police-interrogations
While law enforcement is obviously necessary as part of reducing sexual violence, a better approach is to treat it as the preventable public health issue that it is.
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/29/g-s1-20077/fbi-child-sex-abuse-larry-nassar
While accountability is necessary, sexually harmful imagery is not an issue we can arrest our way out of. If we take a public health approach, we can greatly reduce those who view and share images that harm children. https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/24/telegram-founder-pavel-durov-reportedly-arrested-in-france/
What this piece misses is the perspective of the child safety sector, who also has concerns about #KOSA. Many wonder if this will do more harm than good. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/28/children-online-safety-congress-00171487 #StopKOSA
Demonizing a group of people puts them in an unsafe position, and the most vulnerable among us are children. This isn't being done to protect children, it's being done to hurt people who are different.
https://www.advocate.com/voices/governments-demonize-lgbtq-people
"How can you talk about sexual abuse in the home, if your guardians can block you from attending the very classes that enable you to know what that is?!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyZ5gP7VbKU
The technical and #privacy implications of scanning all chat services for any kind of illegal activity are staggering. This is not only invasive, from a #security perspective, it is a breach waiting to happen. https://thehackernews.com/2024/06/signal-foundation-warns-against-eus.html
By not limiting access to healthcare, the Supreme Court has done the right thing. Access to healthcare is fundamental to general well-being. Some feel it may be a temporary victory, however. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/13/nx-s1-5004726/supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-abortion-pill-accessibility
"She said that in her school district, the bill will likely
have an affect on sex education due to the political climate and how the
term 'grooming' and 'sexualizing' children has been used by far-right
groups, locally." https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/061224_sex_ed_grooming/forthcoming-az-bill-targeting-child-grooming-might-restrict-sex-education-heres-how/
If you need an explainer on why you should call your senator and tell them you don't support the Kids Online Safety Act, and how it will be used for censorship and to attack marginalized communities... https://www.vox.com/technology/352251/kosa-congress-online-child-safety-bill-explained
A child protection organization combining an evidence-based approach to child sexual abuse prevention with its commitment to human rights and sex positivity.