Major NGOs Partner with TLC to Raise Profile of Child Sex Abuse in US

Darkness to Light, Rainn partner with TLC to raise 

child sex abuse awareness

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston-based Darkness to Light is partnering with the TLC television network and the group RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) in a national campaign to prevent child sexual abuse.

The three organizations announced their joint efforts in a press release Thursday. Their goal is to raise awareness and create a national dialogue on child sexual abuse. They hope to increase awareness and educate the public on ways to prevent it.

The announcement comes alongside TLC’s move Thursday to cancel one of its top-rated shows, 19 Kids and Counting, two months after one of the show’s stars, Josh Duggar, admitted to molesting young girls when he was a teenager.

"We cannot emphasize enough how impressive it is that TLC is using their platform to reach millions of Americans in addressing the stigma that child sexual abuse is," Kendall Sherry with Darkness to Light said Friday. "The partnership between TLC, RAINN and Darkness to Light has the potential to change on a national scale how people think about, talk about and react to child sexual abuse."

Dr. Lyndon Haviland, Board of Directors member, interim president and CEO for Darkness to Light said D2L is looking forward to partnering with TLC "to bring child sexual abuse out of secrecy and into the forefront."

Haviland called child sexual abuse a "public health crisis ... affecting (more than) one in 10 children nationwide."

"We applaud (TLC) for the courage to begin a national dialogue about what all adults can do to protect children,” Haviland said.

Darkness to Light (D2L) is a nonprofit organization founded in Charleston in 2000. D2L’s full statement on the new partnership is available here.

TLC said the following in its statement:

“Over these past weeks, TLC has consulted regularly with leading victims' rights and advocacy organizations in the U.S., including RAINN and Darkness to Light, to discuss how to use this moment to address the issue and make a positive impact. Unfortunately, child sexual abuse is not an isolated issue; it affects many children and families around the world. To that end, we are partnering with both organizations on a multi-platform campaign to raise awareness and educate parents and families about the issue.

TLC said in the release it is in the process of producing a one-hour documentary on the issue of child sexual abuse that will feature members of the Duggar family and others that have been affected by abuse. See TLC’s full statement here.

Katherine Hull Fliflet, Vice President of Communications for RAINN, said the following in that organization’s statement Thursday:

“We are pleased to be partnering with TLC to fight child sexual abuse, and appreciate its efforts to spur a national dialogue about this issue. … As this multi-platform campaign moves ahead, we look forward to working closely with TLC and our partners at Darkness to Light. … Together, we believe we can help families that have been affected by this terrible crime and make sure that parents and others have the knowledge and tools they need to help keep kids safe.”

RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, providing support to survivors through various means. Its full statement on the partnership can be found here.