Nonprofit foundation Lauren’s Kids won a Suncoast Regional EMMY Award this past Saturday night for producing a nearly 17-minute awareness program titled “What If I Told You: How to Solve Child Sexual Abuse.”
“What If I Told You” details the human and fiscal costs related to child sexual abuse, which impacts an alarming 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys before their 18th birthday. These costs include increased likelihood of drug abuse, mental illness, and involvement with the criminal justice system, as well as an estimated lifetime cost of $210,000 per victim – a cost of more than $1.9 million to the State of Florida annually.
As narrator, Lauren Book, Founder/CEO of Lauren’s Kids and newly elected Florida State Senator explains, “The problem is staggering, but the solution is clear: 95 percent of child sexual abuse IS preventable through education and awareness. And together, we can shine a light of hope into the darkness.”
The program features interviews with survivors of child sexual abuse and their families, child advocates and therapists who help young victims, law enforcement officers, and educators, including Senator Bill Montford.
“What If I Told You” was one of 16 nominees in the Suncoast EMMY Awards “Societal Concerns” category, and was produced by Lauren Book, Chucha Barber, Josh McLawhorn, Claire VanSusteren, Michele Watson, Dave Barfield and Matt Maple to air in the Tallahassee media market in June of 2016.
The Suncoast Regional EMMY Awards were held at the Rosen Center Hotel in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 3.
