Acknowledgements

This protocol was the collaborative work of many experts in the field of pediatric sexual abuse as well as our federal partners. We would like to acknowledge and thank them for their time attending meetings, participating in conference calls, reviewing drafts, and otherwise providing input during the protocol development process. Special thanks goes to our partners at the IAFN, especially Diane Daiber, Kim Day, and Jennifer Pierce-Weeks. Particular appreciation also goes to Kristin Littel, who served as the primary writer and researcher for the protocol. We are grateful to everyone who generously gave their time and energy to support the success of this project. (See Appendix 10. Participants in Protocol Development)

Note that the protocol borrowed from and built upon many excellent state, federal, national, tribal, and international resources, as well as research related to community response to child sexual abuse and pediatric sexual abuse medical forensic examinations. In particular, this protocol benefited from guidance offered in The Clinical Management of Children and Adolescents Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence: Technical Considerations for PEPFAR Programs (Day & Pierce-Weeks, 2013), Updated Guidelines for the Medical Assessment and Care of Children Who May Have Been Sexually Abused (Adams et al., 2015), and Medical Response to Child Sexual Abuse: A Resource for Professionals Working with Children and Families (Kaplan et al., 2011). It also adapted recommendations, where applicable, from the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations—Adults/Adolescents (2013).

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