Our Vision

We envision a world where child sexual abuse is prevented before it ever occurs and all victims and survivors have access to low-barrier, accessible and anonymous specialised services.

01 Causer-Related Prevention

In an ideal world, child sexual abuse would not occur, as no one would engage in such acts or view images or videos of abuse. While complete prevention may be challenging, there is hope. By offering accessible, affordable, and high-quality therapy to individuals at risk, we can make meaningful strides in reducing harm and creating a safer environment for children.

02 High-Risk Settings

Institutions and online platforms are high-risk environments for child sexual abuse, especially religious organisations, out-of-home care, childcare, social media, and gaming sites. ACT offers collaboration with these vulnerable settings to create ethical strategies to prevent the use of abusive materials and the exploitation of children. We aim to redirect more individuals to appropriate services, reduce harmful behaviour, and protect victims from harm.

03 Mitigating the Consequences

There is a need to expand therapeutic measures for victims of sexual traumatisation. Childhood sexual abuse increases the risk of stress, mental or psychosomatic illnesses, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. We aim to lower barriers so victims and survivors can access specialised services. All victims and survivors should have easy access to affordable and anonymous specialised services.

Our Mission

Our mission is to see comprehensive programs to prevent childhood sexual trauma benefit communities around the world, increasing the chances of future generations.

Connect

Networks of individuals and organisations with the capacity to  implement programs are connected with each other, as well as decision, opinion and policymakers.

Highlight

We cooperate with and highlight promising initiatives that prevent the occurrence of, and mitigate the consequences of, sexual trauma in children.

Mobilise

Communities and media are mobilised to destigmatise sexual trauma and encourage help-seeking of both potential perpetrators and victim-survivors.

Empower

Professionals are empowered to act against child sexual trauma through education, training and access to knowledge about preventive approaches.

Our Team

ACT Against Child Abuse is a project of the Wilhelm von Humboldt Foundation

A dedicated Project Team work to make the ACT Against Child Abuse vision a reality:

Dorothea Czarnecki, PhD

A social scientist with nearly 20 years of experience combating human trafficking and child sexual exploitation across Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Formerly the Deputy Director of the international child protection organisations ECPAT International and ECPAT Germany, she serves now as an IT analyst on child sexual abuse material and Head of Child Protection at FORENSIK.IT in Berlin.

Janavi Doshi, M.Sc. Psych

Janavi Doshi is a seasoned mental health expert with over 13 years of experience, specializing in the treatment of individuals with pedophilia and the prevention of child sexual abuse. Renowned for her impactful work both locally and internationally, she plays a key role in therapy, education, and global initiatives focused on sexual violence prevention. As a mental health professional, she is driven to help others overcome their personal obstacles through a trauma-informed lens.

Isabel Schilg, MCCJ, LL.B.

A scientific associate and project manager with specific expertise in causer-related prevention of child sexual abuse. She developed project management skills in both for-profit and non-profit sectors, including at Australia's largest charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse. She now manages multiple internationally and EU-funded projects on child sexual abuse prevention, leading strategic direction, stakeholder engagement and communication.

Maximilian von Heyden, M.Sc. Public Health

Maximilian von Heyden is a public health researcher and prevention practitioner with a background in social work and research experience in medical psychology, sexology and sexual medicine. He is an editor of the Handbook Psychoactive Substances, a trainer, counselor, seminar and workshop facilitator, co-founder and board member of FINDER, the MIND Foundation and OVID Health Systems.