CBS 6 News: New Child Sexual Abuse Program Launched in Rensselaer County

The issue of sexual violence and how to stop it can feel overwhelming. St. Peter’s is spearheading approaches in the community to keep these crimes from happening.

Samaritan Hospital has launched a new partnership with a host of county and law enforcement agencies to end child sexual abuse. Enough Abuse Rensselaer County is a community-wide campaign that hopes to reach all citizens about the signs to look out for and our responsibility to help protect children. See News 10 report here.

The Sexual Assault and Crime Victims Assistance Program for Rensselaer County (SACVAP) at Samaritan Hospital – in partnership with a host of area police and law enforcement agencies, county services agencies, and community organizations – today unveiled “Enough Abuse Rensselaer County,” a new educational campaign aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. The campaign is the first-of-its-kind in the greater Capital Region. According to the American Medical Association, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men report having been sexually abused in childhood, almost always by someone they know, trust, or love. It is estimated there are 39 million Americans living today who have been victims of child sexual abuse, 13 million of whom are still children. “Child sexual abuse is a public health problem,” said Lindsey Crusan, director of the SACVAP at Samaritan Hospital. “All of the partnering agencies here today recognize that by coming together and taking a stand, we can send the strongest message yet that child sexual abuse is not acceptable in our community. We are dedicated to educating and engaging […]