The mission of the Stop Abuse Campaign is to stop abuse. First, there is the right of every single victim is not to be a victim at all. Victims rights for us should start before victims are even made.
In regard to adverse childhood experiences--you only need two. One being separated from your mother, two your father is an alcoholic, and your chances of being an alcoholic are doubled. Five incidents improve the chances that a person will be an intravenous drug user.
Adverse childhood experiences lead to incredible damage for children.
Stop them before they start.
Our website produces blogs each day on prevention of abuse. We advocate for changed public policies. We have an enduring belief that abuse and neglect can be prevented by changes in public policy.
Today we do know what to do, the science exists, i.e. The Quincy Solution, The Child Safe Act. These approaches will stop the nonsense going on in family courts today. The programs we advocate for, everyone of them is evidenced based. They are researched. The problem with abuse and neglect can stop. All we have to do is change public policy.
F.Y.I., in two weeks we hope these policies will be introduced in New York.
Prevention is a local business. It isn't something for which you can go and knock on the federal government's door. Each state has to pass this legislation. We need to go community by community.
The relationship between domestic violence and child abuse is very close, so when you limit DV, you limit the other.
So how can you help? Here is what you can do. We have put together a basket of public policy, sort of a manifesto, and now what we have to do is sell it. Because when we enact that, abuse stops, including DV.
What we need is your help and money. If you can, go to our website. If you can make a donation on a recurring monthly basis, we can start budgeting it. This includes marketing brochures, etc. A small contribution every month is better than one large one.
There's different kinds of volunteer work you can do--you can do P.R., mail chimp, word press--or else you can lobby or just spread the faith. Evangelize the news to as many people as you can, share with them on social media. The more you share, the less we have to spend on promoting them.
Recruit your friends--have tupperware type parties but on instead share the Stop Abuse Campaign. Talk about the sexual abuse problem we have in this campaign. Talk about how abused mothers who will find it difficult to parent because of the abuse. Then pass a hat and get ten dollars from each person and we'll take care of it very well.
Andrew Willis is not a lobbyist, but still the Stop Abuse Campaign needs to find ways to get the program funded.
We need at least two protective mothers who can act as administrators in groups on Facebook.
Working together we should be able to stop these problems.
We are looking for professionals.
We are working on grants and sponsorships from businesses.
We are putting together consistent, regular, content online regarding adverse childhood experiences. More people need to hear about what we are doing. Up to 20,000 - 30,000 are visiting our website per month, and we need more.
So we are counting on you! Every single one of us here at the Conference is capable of making change happen. And I know that. All of us. I know that because we are doing that in New York with a group of activists who have no background in politics.
So many of us have no experience in changing laws, but we are going to do it now. Each one of us has a sphere of influence, people in positions of authority, others who have considerable finances available. Let us know about these folks and we will help you to connect with them so they know how important our work is.
I have reasonably high hopes that we can succeed in this work. We have activists in states everywhere, i.e. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, etc. Together, we can make this nonsense stop.
Barry Goldstein adds: We need to tell media when violence occurs that The Quincy Solution could have stopped the domestic violence.
A few years ago we were in Washington, D.C. intending to lobby at the House of Representatives when they decided to shut down government. We were concerned we couldn't meet with political leaders. Around that time, we noticed an article indicating there was a problem with poison ivy in the parks around town. Apparently, goats love to eat poison ivy and were positioned in parks to control the plant. However, when the government was shut down, then the goats had to be sent home.
Goats protect their kids, just as we protect our children. Since that time, we have taken on the symbolism of these goats. They do what everyone should do which is protecting their kids. At the conference, we honored the Netherlands for protecting Holly Collins and her children. The ambassador from the Netherlands said, "It is really very simple. We must protect the kids. And this is what we are here for."
