The Public Committee for Policy Change on Child Sexual Abuse,  in collaboration with the Haruv Institute, has recently completed its report. The committee’s goal was to learn from the stories and testimonies of victims of child sexual abuse, in order to change and improve the treatment and prevention of child abuse in Israel.

The committee’s report is special in that it shines a spotlight on the experiences, perceptions, and narratives of over 500 men and women who were sexually abused as children and bravely chose to share their stories. The report focuses on those issues that the victims themselves have pointed out as in need of change in the State of Israel, so that children can live their lives without sexual violence, and so that if, a child does experience sexual abuse, the state can provide him with the most appropriate services.

The committee chose to focus on sexual abuse of children in particular, due to their understanding that this is a severe social problem with a high prevalence and harsh consequences. Therefore, learning and intervention are necessary, as well as the development and improvement of relevant responses at both the societal and state levels. The committee was formed in August 2020 at the initiative of Prof. Carmit Katz, director of research at the Haruv Institute and a faculty member at Tel Aviv University. Prof. Katz serves as director of the committee, and Retired Judge Nava Ben-Or, judge of the Jerusalem District Court (2007–2018) and former Deputy State Attorney for Criminal Affairs, serves as chairperson. The members of the committee are experts and social activists in the field of child sexual abuse.