Child Sex Abuse Prevention Charity Launches Celebrity Billboard Campaign

END1in4 Inc. is telling victims they're not alone and teaching parents that common signs of acting out could be dangerous warnings.

END1in4, Inc. — a Miami-based non-profit organization — has launched for for April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month two billboard campaigns, one series featuring celebrities who have shared their sexual abuse stories and another listing warning signs of abuse. The digital billboards are on expressways and major roadways throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties and on the digital billboards of Miami Metrorail, Metromover platforms and bus shelters.

The 12 celebrities who have shared their stories of child sexual abuse include Gloria Estefan, Viola Davis, Mike Tyson, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Ashley Judd among others. The message is “You’re Not Alone” and highlights there are “42 Million STRONG Survivors.” The celebrity campaign will also be featured on billboards throughout L.A. and New York.

“There is power and community in our stories,” says Kathy Andersen, Founder of END1IN4 and herself a survivor of child sexual abuse. “We each share a piece of our collective story, and together we can heal and grow with strength. The stories of celebrities, and of everyday people, can help us all know that we’re not alone.”

What’s more, adults will often witness behaviors that are cries for help that go unseen and unheard. The campaign highlights various behaviors with images and captions that prompt the viewer to “think again,” including:

• Your Child. Sad or Sexually Abused?
• Your Child. Anxious or Sexually Abused?
• Your Child. Acting Out or Sexually Abused?
• Your Child. Angry or Sexually Abused?
• Your Child. A Loner or Sexually Abused?
• You Child. Bed-Wetter or Sexually Abused?

“Most studies agree that children are not born sad, angry, loners, or rebellious,” says Anderson. “Child sexual abuse happens in and close to the home more than many adults may know. Ninety-three percent of abusers are in or close to the family, and 68 percent are in the family…that’s a lot of reasons to cause a child to act out.”

Viewers can visit the END1IN4.org web site to learn more and to find local and national resources that can offer help and support to see and report abuse, including calling the 24/7 National Child Abuse Hotline.