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Children should not lose their childhood to sexual abuse.
Saprea is bringing awareness to the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse in an effort to reduce the trauma experienced by children in Utah, the United States, and around the world.
Saprea, with offices in Lehi, Utah, and Alpharetta, Georgia, is a nonprofit that exists to liberate individuals and society from child sexual abuse and its lasting impacts.
Founder and board chair Shelaine Maxfield said the nonprofit has served more than 14 million people through its in-person and online resources in its first nine years. With this success she feels there is still so much more to do. "We are hopeful we can reach more survivors, more parents, more partners, and more communities worldwide."
Saprea is currently running an awareness campaign centered on educating the public to the facts of child sexual abuse. For instance, survivors are three times more likely than the general population to attempt suicide, five times more likely to be hospitalized for a physical or mental health problem, and 40% more likely to drop out of high school.
1 in 5 children in the United States will be sexually abused before they turn 18, which adds up to more than 1 million children being abused each year. Many of these children go on to experience the traumatic effects of this abuse well into adulthood. Survivors are three times more likely than the general population to attempt suicide, five times more likely to be hospitalized for a physical or mental health problem, and 40% more likely to drop out of high school.
Abuse happens in every community. Utahns often think they are different than the rest of America. But the fact is, Utah's number of sexual abuse cases is higher than the national average.
"Child sexual abuse itself is horrific and its lasting impacts are typically much greater than most people realize," Maxfield said. "The prevalence of such abuse requires us to take an even more active role in raising awareness about this issue."
Maxfield said millions of survivors are hurting and she feels a moral responsibility to expand Saprea's services worldwide. "Saprea needs to do more: protect more children, strengthen more survivors, and change more communities."
Saprea offers a free in-person healing retreat in Utah County, Utah, and Dawson County, Georgia. The retreat is a clinically informed four-day, in-person experience followed by a self-guided online course. The retreat teaches survivors about trauma's impacts, provides opportunities to apply , and builds community among survivors. The in-person experience lays a foundation for healing, followed by the online courses that build on deeper understanding and application.
As of this year, over 5,000 survivors have attended the retreat as a vital part of their healing journey. On average, retreat participants experience a 45% improvement of life satisfaction, a 37% reduction of PTSD symptoms, and a 19% higher efficacy to cope with their traumatic experience.
One survivor who attended Saprea Retreat writes, "When the retreat day arrived, I felt a roller coaster of emotions. I got off the plane and waited, looking around trying to figure out who else was there. Then we started gathering. Seeing so many faces and knowing that those women understood what I was going through without even talking, it was a feeling of comfort because I wasn't alone anymore. There were more survivors like me! Once inside the retreat the outpouring of support I received, the classes I attended, how spoiled I felt, and the relationships I built with the other attendees became life-lasting experiences. I finally understood that my feelings are valid, that there is a path of healing."
Saprea realizes not every survivor can attend one of its retreats, which is why it also offers a virtual Healing Webinar and support groups across the globe.
The Saprea Healing Webinar is a free 4.5 hour interactive and educational online experience for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The innovative online format provides a safe, supportive, and comfortable environment for survivors to start or continue their healing journey.
During the webinar (which is led by a clinical therapist who specializes in trauma recovery), participants have the chance to engage in discussions, participate in classes, mindfully connect with their bodies, and build a community with other survivors. Since its launch in mid-2022, over 500 women have attended the healing webinar from 45 different states and 24 countries.
Saprea Support Groups provide a safe place where survivors can have a voice. Because every participant is a survivor of child sexual abuse, individuals who attend support groups can talk openly and honestly about their feelings and experiences with others who understand. Participants also learn ways of managing the effects of their trauma. Saprea currently has 87 support groups in over 10 countries, with groups offered in English, Spanish, French, and German.
"Support groups can be validating and a healing space where you hear others share similar thoughts and feelings, almost as if they are speaking your truth and your story," said one Saprea Clinical Therapist. "Individuals can experience a sense of empowerment, control, and hope for their situation and their future."
Saprea also offers a series of free, detailed online healing resources for survivors of child sexual abuse. These resources provide valuable education on the effects of abuse, ways in which those effects commonly manifest in the lives of adult survivors, and practical tools and strategies they can use to reduce or manage them.
In addition to healing resources for survivors, Saprea also provides online prevention resources and community education materials for parents and caregivers to reduce the risk of their children being impacted by abuse. These prevention resources give parents information on starting conversations with their children about healthy sexuality, online safety, and grooming behaviors. "A substantial amount of child sexual abuse can be countered with education and guidance. And we can take those steps now to help keep the next generation safer," said Saprea managing director Chris Yadon.
Saprea's prevention online resources teach caregivers how to identify the signs of child sexual abuse, reduce the risks, and empower their children with support and open communication.
"Saprea can help parents significantly reduce the likelihood that their child will be abused or will abuse another child," Yadon said. "An empowered, educated primary caregiver is the best defense for a child."
All of Saprea's programs and services are provided at no charge thanks to generous donors and partners.
"We want to become the leader in the all-encompassing fight against child sexual abuse," Maxfield reiterated. "I personally invite others to join today in this fight – for it truly is a fight to break the epidemic that impacts millions of children around the world. Every child deserves a childhood filled with love, laughter, innocence, safety, and security."
Learn more at saprea.org.
