Team Only Stronger: Prevention Champions

Victims of childhood trauma report shame and anticipation of stigma, leading to non-disclosure and avoidance of help. Stigma is potentially aggravating the mental health consequences of childhood trauma. So far there is no comprehensive study examining stigma toward adult survivors of various forms of childhood trauma, and it is unclear whether stigma interferes with reaching out to affected individuals. Team Only Stronger believes that it is time for ACTION. In the amount of time it will take more "studies" to take place, more and more children and families will have been impacted by sexual abuse and trauma. Team Only Stronger projects utilize guiding rationale and strategies for prevention in alignment with the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: 

1. Collaboration: We can’t do this alone. In fact, it is often the key partners and stakeholders that make it possible to successfully introduce policy change. 
2. Idention Prevention Champions: Champions Prevention Champions can help bring attention to the issue, partner with advocates to help frame the conversation, and help to open doors to promote policy change. The right champions for a policy initiative can significantly increase awareness and mobilize support involving a much broader constituency. 
3. Awareness: Visibility, education and awareness are key to policy work.
4. Include those with Direct Life Experiences: The inclusion of those with direct life experiences with child sexual abuse or exploitation (e.g. survivors and loved ones of those who have been victimized or who have perpetrated harm) are critical to the success of prevention policy advocacy.           
5. Incorporate Program Evaluation: For every initiative, we need to support funding for a full evaluation of what worked, what did not work, and what needs to change. 

Our next initiative that we hope to get funded by April 2024 is our Prevention Champions Initiative in partnership with San Diego Gives 2023.

We encourage the community to visit our website to learn more about our existing initiatives! at www.onlystronger.org as well as follow us on Instagram @iam_onlystronger! Thank you so much for your time and consideration of support!