The Many Faces of Prevention

Trevor Storrs is the president and CEO of Alaska Children’s Trust

Child Abuse Prevention Month is here (April) and so are we. Child abuse and neglect is preventable, and we collectively have the knowledge, tools, and resources to keep every Alaskan child safe. This month, let's use them.

Prevention begins when families and communities are empowered to define what support looks like, and when systems align to meet those needs. Too often, people believe child abuse and neglect are simply the result of bad parenting, rather than symptoms of deeper, systemic failures. That belief can isolate parents and communities while overlooking the conditions that shape child safety and family well-being.

The pinwheel, a national symbol of child abuse and neglect prevention, symbolizes joy, protection, and peace. It serves as a reminder that when children are surrounded by the right conditions, they can grow, thrive, and feel secure. Building those conditions means working alongside families, easing stress, strengthening connections, and investing in solutions defined by communities themselves. Across Alaska, this work is already happening - in villages, community centers, and living rooms - where meaningful, sometimes difficult, conversations are taking place.

“Creating stable and inclusive environments is another essential part of this work - spaces where young people and families can speak openly without fear are protective factors. ”

In the Native Village of Napaimute, this work takes the form of cultural connection. Their Cultural Enrichment After School Program creates space for students to explore and deepen their identities as Yup’ik and Athabascan youth. Through storytelling, hands-on projects, and shared learning, participants build pride, creativity, and strong peer relationships. One community member shared, “It is projects like these that bring meaning back into education and life back into our youth… These experiences will forever be etched into the hearts and minds of our youth, who are the future adults of the community. Because of this, our community is a little healthier and a little stronger.”

Creating stable and inclusive environments is another essential part of this work - spaces where young people and families can speak openly without fear are protective factors.

Through the Fairbanks Queer Collective’s LGBTQ Family Support and Education Initiative, queer youth and community leaders co-led workshops focused on education, storytelling, and practical communication tools. These sessions helped families deepen their understanding and strengthen emotional connections with their LGBTQ+ children. One parent shared that they had avoided discussing their teen’s gender identity for two years, afraid of saying the wrong thing. After attending a workshop, they initiated the conversation for the first time. “My kid cried after,” the parent said. “Not because they were hurt, but because they were relieved that they could talk to me and that I support them.”

Prevention is not a single program or a one-time campaign. It is a sustained commitment to investing upstream, to listening, to aligning systems with community voice, and to ensuring families have what they need before harm occurs.

Prevention begins with the community. And in Alaska, communities are leading the way.

Trevor Storrs is the president and CEO of Alaska Children’s Trust, or ACT, the lead statewide agency that addresses the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Since its inception, ACT has led the way in building awareness, providing education and bringing communities together statewide to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Learn more how you can prevent child sexual assault/abuse by going to:
https://www.alaskachildrenstrust.org/csa-prevention.

If you are a victim, your voice is powerful – telling your story can help prevent child sexual abuse.
Learn how to share your story at: https://www.storiesact.org