The appalling nature of the data on the prevalence of child sexual abuse in the United States cannot be diminished, no matter how often it is presented. Lauren Book, a co-founder of Lauren's Kids and a state senator in Florida, and Ron Book, also a co-founder of the organization and a lobbyist in Florida, constantly remind the public of the following facts:
Before they reach the age of 18, one in every three females and one in every five boys will have been the victim of sexual abuse.
If a youngster often uses the internet, there is a one in five chance that they may be asked out for sexual favors.
Abuse of children in a sexual manner may happen everywhere, including in cities, suburbs, and rural regions. "Stranger danger" is not the most significant risk factor for child sexual assault. It occurs in every social position, every income level, every religion group, and every degree of education. The vast majority of the time, a sexual attack on a kid is committed by a person the victim knows, loves, and trusts.
In their article, Lauren Book and her husband Ron Book, who is also the co-founder of Lauren's Kids, mention a new set of disturbing data from the Stop SV (Sexual Violence) report that was published by the Centers for Disease Control. Forty percent of women who have a history of completed rape had their first experience with the crime before the age of eighteen.
The authors Lauren Book and Ron Book want to bring to our attention the fact that sexual assaults committed against children are undeniably linked to a variety of determinable risk and protective factors. These factors are amenable to modification in order to either increase or decrease the likelihood of sexual assaults occurring in the future. Families with a history of sexual violence against children have a higher risk of continuing that pattern of behavior in subsequent generations. Early sexual initiation, acceptance of delinquent behaviors, hyper-masculinity, and risk-taking behaviors, such as unprotected sex, all increase the likelihood that a person may engage in the commission of an act of sexual violence against another person.
There is a correlation between a higher risk of sexual assault on children and poverty, gender inequality, exposure to crime and violence in the community, and a society that promotes the idea that males have a right to sexual entitlement. However, Ron Book and Lauren Book came to the conclusion that simply being aware of the factors that contribute to sexual abuse of children is not enough. It is of the utmost importance to discover measures supported by research that can prevent and halt it.
Both Ron and Lauren Book are of the opinion that the vast majority of instances of sexual assault may be avoided via the utilization of education, both in-person and over the internet. Education to put an end to sexual assaults committed against children was the impetus for the founding of Lauren's Kids.
The Lauren's Kids Foundation, in conjunction with the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, as well as focus groups comprised of families and therapists, has worked together to provide a resource that is really one of a kind and dubbed The Guide to Hope and Healing. It provides information that is necessary for answering inquiries that come up when a kid has disclosed that they have been sexually abused. The Guide is offered at no cost to Florida families and consists of a guidebook that contains references, resources, advice, and forms. The Guide to Hope and Healing provides realistic principles for safety planning, as well as activities that might help young survivors of sexual abuse open up lines of communication. These activities can be found in the book.
The Foundation also provides a Safer, Smarter Schools curriculum for Florida public and charter schools, which is also now used in 40 other states, in addition to an online, interactive Family Safety Toolkit that families can use to develop their own safety plans for their children in grades K-12. This toolkit can be accessed through the Foundation's website.
The Youth Serving Organization Handbook is available for download from the Lauren's Kids Foundation, which serves as a resource for community groups. Foster families can take advantage of the Foundation's Trauma-Informed Care training, and first responders can benefit from the Foundation's helpful hints. Education that is widespread across the communities in which children live is believed by the professional advisory board of the Foundation to be capable of preventing as many as 95 percent of all instances of child sexual abuse.
Lauren Book, who holds a Master of Education degree, is one of the 42 million people in the United States who overcame sexual assault as a kid. According to what she says in her children's book Lauren's Kingdom, which is a bestseller in Publisher's Weekly, "If you're choking back tears and your heart's filled with anxieties... You are aware full well that it is acceptable to disclose." Her first book, It's OK to Tell, is a memoir in which she recounts her journey from being a victim to a survivor to an advocate for the protection of children.
Currently serving as the Minority Leader in the Senate of the State of Florida is Lauren Book. In addition to the responsibilities she has as Minority Leader, she is the sponsor of two bills: Senate Bill 1798, which would make it a crime to distribute pornographic images that have been digitally altered or deeply faked, and the Florida Cybertrafficking Bill, which aims to stop the production of revenge porn.
Administrative law specialist Ron Book, who also serves as a Trustee for the Council of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, is a driving force behind the Chamber's Legislative Affairs and State Affairs committees. Additionally, Mr. Book is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ronald L. Book, P.A., a legal company that has offices in both Tallahassee and South Florida and focuses on governmental relations and lobbying. Mr. Book is a well-known lobbyist in the state of Florida, and together with his colleagues at Ronald L. Book, P.A., they have amassed a client list that includes some of the most recognizable names in the fields of business, local government, industry, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations throughout the state.
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