APA joined a community of organizations in a letter to the House and Senate appropriations chairs and ranking members requesting $10 million in funding for the Division of Violence Prevention within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (PDF, 113KB)opens in new window. The groups thanked the appropriations leaders, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Kay Granger (R-TX) for the $2 million of funding in Fiscal Year 2022.
The letter emphasized that “[c]hild sexual abuse is associated with short- and long-term mental and physical health problems that shorten the lifespan and reduce its quality. Effects include increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders (including opioid abuse), HIV, heart disease, and suicide.” It also expressed that the lack of scientifically validated prevention interventions is the result of insufficient funding for research.
A congressionally mandated 2019 CDC report on child sexual abuse prevention (PDF, 1.41MB)opens in new window outlined substantial gaps in existing research efforts. It found that a significant federal investment in child sexual abuse prevention research is needed.
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