By admin 
Content warning: This story contains references to sexual violence and abuse of children.
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A new statewide initiative aims to prevent and reduce Alaska’s pervasively high rates of child sexual abuse.
The statewide prevention plan is led by the Alaska Children’s Trust, a non-profit advocacy group focused on supporting children and families and preventing child abuse and neglect.
Trevor Storrs, the president and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust, said a coordinated effort among state and community groups, service providers, schools, caregivers and youth is needed to make serious strides in intervening and preventing abuse.
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“We should not expect children to fight off these predators. We want them equipped with the tools, but it’s our job, not just as adults, but as a community and society, to make sure kids are safe,” he said.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual abuse or are healing from a crisis, resources are available:
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- STAR Alaska Crisis Line: Confidential 24/7 (800) 478-8999
- The StrongHearts Native Helpline: Confidential 24/7 confidential helpline for Native Americans and Alaska Natives dealing with domestic and sexual violence. Call 1-844-762-8483 or use the chat feature.
- Child sexual abuse prevention resources provided by the Alaska Children’s Trust can be found here.
- AWARE’s list of resources, including housing, medical and financial resources
- Legal help through Alaska Legal Services Corp.