On November 18, we recognize the World Day for Prevention of and Healing from Child Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence—a vital observance that began only recently, in 2022, when a UN Declaration made it official. In its brief history, this day has amplified the urgent needs for collective global action to protect children from harm and foster healing for survivors.
Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a preventable public health crisis, affecting millions of children across all backgrounds. According to UNICEF, one in five girls and one in 13 boys globally experience sexual abuse before the age of 18. This abuse creates far-reaching and profound impacts on individuals and families, often leading to significant physical and mental health challenges.
Earlier this year, with support from Oak Foundation, Panorama Strategy assessed the funding environment for CSA prevention and response efforts. A key finding was the imbalance of funding, revealing a stronger focus on response efforts over prevention and advocacy. Response efforts—such as emergency support, medical care, legal aid, and rehabilitation services for survivors—are critical in assisting those affected. However, since these responses occur after the fact, they do not reduce the overall prevalence of abuse.
To learn more on our funding landscape insights and explore practical strategies for nonprofit and non-governmental organizations to enhance CSA prevention and response fundraising efforts, explore the full fundraising guide developed by Panorama Strategy with support from the Oak Foundation.
Understanding the Funding Gap for CSA Prevention
The funding gap for CSA prevention is driven by multiple factors:
Prioritization of immediate needs and visible impact. Donors and governments tend to fund response efforts because they offer tangible, immediate outcomes. Providing support to a visible survivor, for instance, has a more immediate emotional impact than investing in preventive education, the effects of which may not be seen for years.
Challenges in measuring prevention success. Prevention is inherently hard to quantify. Unlike response efforts, where the number of survivors served can be counted, prevention relies on reducing incidents, which is more difficult to track and report. Without clear metrics, funders may hesitate to commit resources to prevention.
Limited awareness and cultural stigma. CSA is a deeply sensitive and often stigmatized issue, leading to less public discourse and awareness around prevention. The lack of open conversation about CSA hinders understanding of the benefits of prevention and leads to underinvestment in educational and community-based initiatives that could protect vulnerable children.
The Transformative Potential of Investing in Prevention
Investing in prevention has the power to create lasting change and can be far more cost-effective than response efforts by stopping abuse before it occurs. Just Beginnings Collaborative underscores the critical need to prioritize proactive prevention, stating, “there has never been a system for preventing child abuse,” and urging us to move beyond reform.
By reducing abuse incidence, society can save on the long-term costs associated with response, including mental health care and productivity losses. Prevention also creates safer environments and empowers communities with the knowledge to recognize early signs of abuse, strengthening protective measures and making exploitation more difficult.
Effective prevention efforts include community-based educational programs, training for parents and educators, and policy advocacy for stronger child protection laws. For instance, the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse leads Prevention Global, a platform that offers perpetration prevention programs, such as helplines, self-help websites, peer-supported online forums, therapist-guided programs, and school-based intervention programs.
Achieving effective prevention of CSA requires a shift in both mindset and funding allocation. By rebalancing the scales and directing more resources to prevention, we can create a future where fewer children experience abuse, and those who do are better supported. On this year’s observance of the World Day for Prevention and Healing from Child Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence, let us recognize the urgent need for a funding model that not only heals but also protects.
