ENOLA – The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) has awarded its annual Vision of Hope Grant to Chiara Sabina, Ph.D., to assess the current knowledge and attitudes of Pennsylvanians regarding child sexual abuse.
PCAR grants up to $50,000 each year from its Vision of Hope Fund to support effective prevention projects in Pennsylvania and throughout the country to help teach adults how to create safer environments for our children.
Sabina, an assistant professor of Social Sciences at Penn State Harrisburg, is an established independent researcher with expertise in interpersonal violence, particularly sexual assault, intimate partner violence and teen dating violence.
“Chiara’s work to better understand the abilities of Pennsylvania residents to recognize the risk factors or signs of abuse and respond to suspected cases of sexual abuse will help PCAR and its collaborating partners to better understand our community and direct our education and outreach efforts in the most effective ways possible,” PCAR Chief Executive Officer Delilah Rumburg said. “PCAR is excited to work with Chiara on this assessment.”
Sabina’s efforts also will include collaborating with Child Abuse Prevention Effort (CAPE) to review current educational and awareness campaigns focused on child sexual abuse prevention in Pennsylvania and developing a set of recommendations based on research findings.
“I am thrilled to contribute to the mission of the Vision of Hope Fund,” Sabina said. “Child sexual abuse is a community issue that requires a community response. This research project will shed light on what Pennsylvanians know about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. By gathering this foundational knowledge, we will be able to construct strategic prevention messages for the adults across Pennsylvania. ”
Sabina’s prior accomplishments include conducting national studies on the victimization of Latin@ women and teens and a needs assessment for victim services which is culminating in policy and service recommendations.