Building Bridges: Working Together to Understand and Prevent Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Ours is an evolving discipline; yet from time to time, we need to look back briefly so we can become aware and appreciative of our histories as part of this unique and powerful social movement within the mental health field. We also need to look forward and plan with ATSA how we shall move ahead into the 21st century with new vision, careful strategy, superb resources and training, increased multiculturalism, refined research and its improved dissemination, increased professionalism, and, of equal or greater importance, the continuing vitality, creativity, and the unquenchable energy and spirit of our clinicians and scientists that have brought us this far along the path today.

We are a unique social movement unlike any other in the mental health field. We are a social change movement by the very nature of our work. Based on what we now know, we are entering a new and exciting phase of sexual assault prevention possibilities, but only with continued and significant societal attitude and systems change will we garner the required support and resources to continue to move toward building a safer society free of sexual assault. And most importantly, as in the past, we are the people who need to continue to come together to do that work. If we do not do it, it will not be done.