Delaware News

Attorney General Biden to Receive ‘Champion for Children’ Award

Department of Justice | Date Posted: Friday, September 21, 2012



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WILMINGTON – Prevent Child Abuse Delaware will honor state Attorney General Beau Biden on Friday evening with its “Champion for Children Award” for his work to protect children from abuse and keep them safe from predators.

“Prevent Child Abuse Delaware is delighted to be able to honor Attorney General Beau Biden as this year’s Champion for Children,” said Karen DeRasmo, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware. “Attorney General Biden is being recognized for his commitment to keeping children safe in the First State, particularly for the leadership he has provided to the Stewards of Children initiative. Stewards of Children is a sexual abuse-prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Attorney General Biden has been in the forefront of efforts to reach 35,000 Delawareans by 2016 with this important program.”
Biden has made protecting children a top priority since his tenure as Attorney General began in 2007. He created the Child Predator Unit that puts prosecutors and police side by side to track down and arrest the worst of society – those seeking to harm children – and successfully sought tougher minimum mandatory prison sentences for the possession of child pornography. In 2010, Delaware was recognized by the federal government for being a leader in implementing provisions of the Adam Walsh Act, which strengthened reporting and registration requirements for sex offenders.

Last year, Biden teamed with Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, YMCA Delaware, government agencies and the private sector to bring the Stewards of Children program to Delaware to train adults to spot the signs of child abuse.  The partnership has a goal to train 35,000 Delawareans, or about five percent of the state’s population. Taught by trained volunteer facilitators to the general public, the program is brief, inexpensive, and effective. It highlights facts about abuse, common situations in which it occurs, ways to talk to children and adults about it, and simple and effective protection strategies. Participants report a 38 percent increase in knowledge and attitudes about child sex abuse.

“Nothing is more important than protecting Delaware’s children from harm,” Biden said. “It is our job as adults to keep kids safe. We know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused, most likely by someone they know, but only 1 in 10 will report the abuse. We must keep giving adults the tools they need to recognize the abuse and report it to authorities.”
Biden and Connie Walls Geiger, a former president of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, will be honored Friday night during the fourth annual Champions for Children Gala at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.

Prevent Child Abuse Delaware is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership for child abuse prevention activities in Delaware by increasing understanding of child abuse and its solutions, serving as a resource for individuals, families and communities, and advocating for enhanced prevention policies and programs. Learn more about Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, please visit www.pcadelaware.org.

Caitlin M. Olsen, MPA
Director of Communications and Development Prevent Child Abuse Delaware
100 West 10th Street, Suite 715
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-425-7490 (phone)
302-425-7494 (fax)

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Attorney General Biden to Receive ‘Champion for Children’ Award

Department of Justice | Date Posted: Friday, September 21, 2012



?

WILMINGTON – Prevent Child Abuse Delaware will honor state Attorney General Beau Biden on Friday evening with its “Champion for Children Award” for his work to protect children from abuse and keep them safe from predators.

“Prevent Child Abuse Delaware is delighted to be able to honor Attorney General Beau Biden as this year’s Champion for Children,” said Karen DeRasmo, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware. “Attorney General Biden is being recognized for his commitment to keeping children safe in the First State, particularly for the leadership he has provided to the Stewards of Children initiative. Stewards of Children is a sexual abuse-prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Attorney General Biden has been in the forefront of efforts to reach 35,000 Delawareans by 2016 with this important program.”
Biden has made protecting children a top priority since his tenure as Attorney General began in 2007. He created the Child Predator Unit that puts prosecutors and police side by side to track down and arrest the worst of society – those seeking to harm children – and successfully sought tougher minimum mandatory prison sentences for the possession of child pornography. In 2010, Delaware was recognized by the federal government for being a leader in implementing provisions of the Adam Walsh Act, which strengthened reporting and registration requirements for sex offenders.

Last year, Biden teamed with Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, YMCA Delaware, government agencies and the private sector to bring the Stewards of Children program to Delaware to train adults to spot the signs of child abuse.  The partnership has a goal to train 35,000 Delawareans, or about five percent of the state’s population. Taught by trained volunteer facilitators to the general public, the program is brief, inexpensive, and effective. It highlights facts about abuse, common situations in which it occurs, ways to talk to children and adults about it, and simple and effective protection strategies. Participants report a 38 percent increase in knowledge and attitudes about child sex abuse.

“Nothing is more important than protecting Delaware’s children from harm,” Biden said. “It is our job as adults to keep kids safe. We know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused, most likely by someone they know, but only 1 in 10 will report the abuse. We must keep giving adults the tools they need to recognize the abuse and report it to authorities.”
Biden and Connie Walls Geiger, a former president of Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, will be honored Friday night during the fourth annual Champions for Children Gala at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.

Prevent Child Abuse Delaware is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership for child abuse prevention activities in Delaware by increasing understanding of child abuse and its solutions, serving as a resource for individuals, families and communities, and advocating for enhanced prevention policies and programs. Learn more about Prevent Child Abuse Delaware, please visit www.pcadelaware.org.

Caitlin M. Olsen, MPA
Director of Communications and Development Prevent Child Abuse Delaware
100 West 10th Street, Suite 715
Wilmington, DE 19801
302-425-7490 (phone)
302-425-7494 (fax)

# # #

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.