What We Do

The Moore Center conducts both scholarly research and advocacy work to promote policies and practices that prevent child sexual abuse. We invite the public, changemakers, and collaborators to explore our work, explore our research and resources, and connect with our experts. For regular updates, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Featured Policy and Advocacy Initiatives 

The Moore Center’s policy and advocacy efforts focus on increasing federal funding for child sexual abuse prevention research and supporting evidence-based policies. For policy updates, sign up for our newsletter. 

Increasing Federal Funding 

Our work in partnership with CRD Associates and a coalition of like-minded organizations led in 2020 to a new line item in the federal budget for $1 million to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in support of child sexual abuse prevention research. The line item has increased each year and was allocated at $3 million for 2023. Our goal is to reach $10 million. 
Funding for prevention research           2019 Report to Congress on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention

Assessing Policy Impacts 

Research led by Moore Center faculty and others conclusively demonstrates that registration policies for children adjudicated for or convicted of sexually offending fail to improve public safety and are associated with significant harm to children subjected to these policies.  

Harms of placing kids on sex offender registries

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse Worldwide 

The Out of the Shadows Index by Childhood USA and Economist Impact explores how 60 countries are tackling child sexual abuse in person and online. It assesses legal frameworks; policies and programs to protect and educate children and key stakeholders; provision of support services for victims and offenders; and the justice process for victims. The Moore Center advised on a U.S. report and short film for this project. 

Out of the Shadows

Featured Publications (2022-2023) 

• Responsible Behavior With Younger Children: Results From a Pilot Randomized Evaluation of a School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Perpetration Prevention Program. Child Maltreatment.  
• Stress, worry, and health problems experienced by Black and Indigenous caregivers of girls with juvenile legal system involvement. Children and Youth Services Review.   
• Health insurance expansion and family violence prevention: A conceptual framework. Child Maltreatment. 
• Impact of child sexual abuse on socioeconomic attainment in adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health.   
• No Check We Won't Write: A Report on the High Cost of Sex Offender Incarceration. Sexual Abuse.  
• Is the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion associated with reported incidents of child sexual abuse?  Child Maltreatment. 
• An evaluation of Building Our Nation’s Daughters (BOND): Improving Black single mother-daughter relationships and well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies.   
• Impact of Medicaid expansion on reported incidents of child neglect and physical abuse. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.