Letter received from David Allburn, Executive Director, Safe Harbor Resources

The homeland security Quick Links, and indeed the whole Knowledge Base, omits a category specifically designated and funded as terrorism by the President and former Secretary Ridge: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention. That such abuse is terrorism is well documented since the predators terrorize the children into lifetimes of silence. Perhaps more important for administrative reasons, child sexual abuse has been defined and declared by our highest leaders to be terrorism, and to be included in the war on terror. It not only IS terrorism, but the White House, DHS, and ICE have said so. (Google "Operation Predator" and see the public statements.)

The $Millions funded for Operation Predator http://nyjtimes.com/cover/03-22-05/5000thPredatorArrested.htm and delegated to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency have resulted in high profile apprehensions, including the 36-year veteran Boy Scout official in charge of their national child protection operation, as well as thousands of other sexual predators. The typical predator is not a craven maniac crouching near a playground. He is a pillar-of-the-community, presenting as "the perfect trusted volunteer" who sets up shop to molest a documented average of 150 children, "dumping" his victim-du-jour every few months to make room for a new one. That is where the terrorism occurs. A minority of predator types, they generate the vast majority of victims which comprise the half of child sexual abuse perpetrated outside-the-home.

"Terrorism" is typically imagined as an "act" carried out with a WMD. The responders prepare to confront mass casualties. Child sexual abuse is a process. Yet hundreds of thousands of children, mostly in the lower grades and below, are falling victim to the terrorism associated with their sexual abuse right now. They become the census of residential treatment centers to receive post-traumatic stress intervention, exactly the same as if their pre-school were blown up by a suicide bomber. They consume healthcare, law enforcement, and social services to the same over-extent as amputees and other disfigured casualties do. It is so widespread that the insurance industry is pulling away from covering it. Big Brothers Big Sisters has to self-insure.

But although the DHS is heavily involved, there is no mention in The Knowledge Base. There should be a whole category. There is a whole body of knowledge, and much of it is new because the topic has quietly become militarized: Infiltration, imposters, impersonation, identity-theft, background checking-and-vetting, interdiction, international trafficking, etc. These are not the customary terms of mental health professionals and sociologists.

Our Ohio-based national nonprofit is developing effective ways to reduce the risk-exposure of children to infiltrated serial predators who by far generate the most victims. Up to 95% risk reduction appears feasible, and has earned the attention and participation of major academic research centers, national foundations, and the insurance industry. We have a Knowledge Base on the child sexual abuse matter, and there are many others include that of ICE. We are approaching our State of Ohio Security Task Force to fund the startup of the Institute for Research to Prevent Terrorism of Children, and have received encouragement from many Ohio legislators. The National Academic Consortium on Homeland Security is being approached to help. But the sexual abuse issue is not on their radar.

Could you and I cooperate to help awaken the states' and delegated funding agencies to the fact that child sexual abuse prevention and intervention is a bona fide and declared objective of DHS that can and should attract substantial funding opportunity?

David Allburn, Executive Director, Safe Harbor Resources 501(c)3
6999 Dolan Rd, Glouster OH 45732, ph 740-767-3853, 888-806-4201
www.SafeHarborResources.org, www.IntellAssure.com
INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON PREVENTING TERRORISM OF CHILDREN.
Eliminating kids' risk-exposure to shrewd infiltrated predators.