The Campaign Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) is a national campaign created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to engage elected officials and educate communities on issues related to the sexual victimization of minors and its prevention.
Lancaster County has taken the lead of increasing awareness about these issues by adopting CASE and mobilizing our community. The County has established a task force to help raise awareness and increase education in the County about these issues. Additionally, the Lancaster County CASE Task Force will provide tools and resources to communities, families, and children to minimize the risks and encourage preventive behaviors in the community.
The issue of child sexual victimization is an under recognized and underreported problem. However, research shows that one in five girls and one in ten boys will be sexually victimized before they reach adulthood1. Unfortunately, less than 35 percent of these crimes are reported to law enforcement. The Lancaster County CASE Task Force is here to give these children a voice and protect the children of our community.
1D. Finkelhor. “Current Information on the Scope and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse.” The Future of Children: Sexual Abuse of Children, 1994, volume 4, page 37.