The Vermont Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse is mandated by Vermont law to coordinate and oversee the state’s systematic response to sexual assault and child sexual abuse. It is jointly administered by the Department of Corrections and the Department for Children and Families. Click here for more information about the Center.
This site provides links to resources on the sensitive topic of sexual abuse and may be triggering for some people. If you think this topic might be an issue for you, please consider not entering the website or click this link to seek resources for yourself.
Resources
- Families: This section will provide you with information on the dynamics of child sexual abuse. It is for parents, family members, and community members who are learning and want to help.
- Prevention: There are many pieces to the puzzle of child sexual abuse. These resources will provide you with the facts so you can understand it, interrupt behaviors that are inappropriate and change the environments that allow access to children.
- Intervention: Learn what to do and who to call if you notice inappropriate behavior or suspect abuse. Learn ways that you can be supportive and encourage treatment both with those who have experienced sexual abuse or who exhibit sexually harmful behaviors.
- Treatment: Research shows that both those who have been sexually abused and those with sexually harmful behaviors benefit from specific theraputic treatment. With clinical guidance those who have experienced sexual abuse can recover and be resilient survivors. Those with sexually harmful behaviors can be accountable, control their harmful behaviors and reduce their risk to abuse again.
- Judicial & Law Enforcement: The Vermont Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse works to provide a central location for the acquisition and dissemination of information regarding: Judicial practices conducive to public protection & supervision of offenders; Protocols for coordinated investigation of allegations of child sexual abuse; and any other information that may be beneficial to legal and law enforcement professionals in aiding VT’s response to sexual abuse.
- Professionals: You will find information focused on the needs of professionals who work with people who have experienced the trauma of being sexually abused as children. It is also focused on the needs of professionals who work with youth and adults who exhibit sexually harmful behaviors. You will find resources on current research, best practice and evidence based models to serve these populations.
- General Resources
Contact Us
Co-Directors of the Vermont Center for Prevention & Treatment of Sexual Abuse:
Gary Marvel
Email: gary.marvel@vermont.gov
Nancy Miller
Email: nancy.miller@vermont.gov
Have feedback? This web page is a community resource on the topic of sexual abuse, providing information, facts, and best practices to a variety of audiences. We invite and encourage feedback about the usefulness of the information you find here. Please feel free to contact us at the addresses above with any comments, concerns or suggestions.
About the Vermont Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse
Vision:
A society that actively promotes the sexual safety of its citizens and provides effective therapeutic services for individuals affected by sexual abuse.
Mission:
The mission of the Vermont Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse (VCPTSA) is to coordinate and support statewide, collaborative efforts to prevent sexual abuse and sexual violence. This coordination includes a strategic plan for providing access to treatment for both victims and persons with sexually harmful behaviors.
History:
In 1988, the legislature mandated the creation of the Center to provide statewide coordination of all sexual abuse victims and sex offender prevention and treatment services. The VCPTSA was the first of its kind in the United States and administered jointly by the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Division of Family Services, the Department for Children and Families (DCF). Established in 1982, the Vermont Treatment Program for Sexual Abusers (VTPSA) fell into place under the umbrella of the VCPTSA, but remained administratively under the DOC.
On February 27, 2009, the Senate and House passed S.13 - AN ACT RELATING TO IMPROVING VERMONT’S SEXUAL ABUSE RESPONSE SYSTEM. It was signed into law on March 17, 2009, becoming Act One of the 2009 session. The legislative intent of the act is to increase child sexual abuse prevention efforts, enhance investigations and prosecutions of child sexual abuse, provide sentencing courts with the information necessary to devise appropriate sentences for sex offenders, and improve supervision of sex offenders. Section 12 refocused VCPTSA and created mandates for reporting progress of the overall system of response.
Purpose:
VCPTSA was created to provide a central point of oversight to Vermont’s systematic response to sexual assault and child sexual abuse. The Center is a facilitator to the many agencies, organizations, and individuals that have independent roles and responsibilities within the overall system.
Legislative Reports:
View the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse Legislative Report.