The 2019 Praesidium Report
A Comprehensive Report on Sexual Abuse Risk Management of Vulnerable Populations
Over the last 25 years, Praesidium has reviewed and consulted on thousands of cases of sexual abuse across all industries serving vulnerable populations. Those organizations include K-12 schools and higher education institutions, youth-serving organizations working with children and youth, churches and religious institutions, social service organizations, and many more.
Praesidium's mission is to "help you protect those in your care from abuse and to help preserve trust in your organization." With that in mind, we decided to take our findings over the course of the year and identify trends. Using these trends, we offer some direct tips on what organizations can do within each section of the Praesidium Report. We hope you find this report valuable and encourage you to share it with your colleagues via the share buttons on this page.
What's Inside The Report?
How are other organizations doing?
Praesidium’s online self-assessment tool allows an organization to systematically determine the extent to which it has best practice standards in place within each of the eight operations included in Praesidium’s Safety Equation®. Find out how these organizations ranked themselves within each area using this tool.
What types of helpline calls did Praesidium receive?
Praesidium offers a 24-hour call-in helpline solution to our clients. This helpline is used to assess an identified red-flag behavior, suspicious or inappropriate behaviors, or allegations within an organization. Each call has a team of experts behind the scenes diligently discussing the best course of action and identifying next-steps the organizations may want to consider. We've identified several categories of situations from the hundreds of calls received, such as alleged adult-to-child abuse and youth-to-youth sexual activity or abuse, to name a few. Find out which type we see the most and where incidents are most likely to take place.
Are you up to speed on what's happening in your industry?
As industry standards for abuse prevention change our clients must adjust their approach to abuse risk management. Examples of those standards include increased mandated reporting requirements, required abuse prevention training, required background checks and fingerprint checks, and more. Across many industries, we’ve seen a shift towards focusing on organizational oversight when it comes to addressing the topic of abuse prevention.
Learn about the trends we see in the following industries: schools serving students (K-12 and Higher Education); youth-serving organizations working with children and youth (camps, fitness facilities, YMCAs, resorts, exchange programs, childcare facilities, etc.); religious organizations and churches serving children, youth and vulnerable adults; as well as social service organizations serving vulnerable populations (foster care, home health care, hospital care, services for adults with disabilities, etc.).
You Might Be Wondering...
Who is Praesidium?
Praesidium is the national leader in risk management of sexual abuse of vulnerable populations. With more than 25 years of experience, and serving thousands of clients, our dedicated team of researchers, psychologists, attorneys, social workers, and human resources professionals have analyzed thousands of cases and synthesized the latest scientific research. We know how abuse happens in organizations and more importantly, how to prevent it.
What is Praesidium's approach to managing the risk of abuse in clients' organizations?
Praesidium uses a systems-based approach created from the scientific research of thousands of reported incidents of abuse. This analysis identified that the root causes of these situations often fall into one or more of the eight organizational operations which, taken together, comprise Praesidium’s Safety Equation®. We help our clients implement best practice standards in each of the eight operations to close gaps, decrease risks, and create safer environments within their organizations.
Abuse Is Preventable.
Praesidium is dedicated to helping our clients fulfill their mission safely. Whether they are just getting started in their abuse prevention efforts, focused on the compliance aspects of risk management, or are committed to creating a culture of safety with years of experience. We work with clients across the spectrum. If you're not sure what your next step is to preventing abuse, contact us today.
Copyright Praesidium 2019 | The information contained herein is for educational purposes to assist in the prevention of organizational abuse. However, it must be noted that no system can guarantee prevention of abuse. This information is not legal advice, either expressed or implied. Consultation with qualified legal counsel is recommended. This information is provided “As Is” without warranty, express or implied. The reader assumes all risk for reliance thereon.
