WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT NASV AND OTHER EFFORTS TO STOP VIOLENCE IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI? CHECK OUT SHE MAGAZINE'S PROTECT U SERIES.

"It can be overwhelming to start to acknowledge how absolutely common child sex abuse is," says Tammy Gwaltney, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence. "How do we start the process of ending the cycle of child abuse?"

This is a question the SEMO-NASV has been addressing for years. Recently, the group received $52,000 in grant funding from The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The extra funds will help continue the Green Bear Club, a program that travels to area schools discussing sexual abuse in children.

"We talked to 12,000 students in Missouri last year about how to prevent being a sexual abuse victim and what to do if you are a victim," Gwaltney says. The program also informs adults how to look for signs of abuse and what to do if they suspect a child is a victim.

As an added bonus, the NASV will launch a new campaign, hoping to draw the attention of various groups in Southeast Missouri. With the extra money, the network will form community coalitions in the counties they serve. The NASV aims to involve civic organizations, parent groups, faith-based entities, various law enforcement groups, teachers and schools.

Gwaltney hopes the communities will begin to network with the resources that exist and that these resources will come together to work toward ending child sex abuse.

"By taking ownership that it exists, then we can figure out what we are going to do to prevent it as adults," she says.

The NASV will assist coalitions in an advisory fashion. They will provide ongoing education with monthly bulletin inserts, quarterly newsletters, lesson plans, and the internet. There will also be classes offered to promote awareness and provide prevention methods. How to spot signs or symptoms of abuse will continue to be enforced throughout the region.

The main focus is to raise awareness that sex abuse in children is an issue.

"Many people aren't aware of how vast the problem really is. It's a tough subject. People understand it exists, but don't want to know how common it is," says Gwaltney.

By addressing specific instances and why they happen, the next step is how to stop or prevent it. Gwaltney hopes the coalitions will join in believing in a mission for the future of children.

"It's important to know that it's not overwhelming, it is something to address and something that we can end."