Commentary, 0419 UTBJ, Vol. 32, No. 2. 44
| Author | GREGORY N. HOOLE, SEAN D. REYES, AND SIM GILL |
| Position | Vol. 32 2 Pg. 44 |
March,
2019
Wheels
of Justice Rides to Make a Difference
GREGORY N. HOOLE, SEAN D. REYES, AND SIM GILL
One in
five children in Utah will be sexually abused before they
turn eighteen. Child sex abuse alone costs Utah taxpayers $1
billion annually. And these numbers do not include the
victims of the child sex trade, nor do they say anything
about the many other forms of child abuse, such as physical,
verbal, and emotional abuse. Wheels of Justice is committed
to doing something about this.
Wheels
of Justice
Wheels
of Justice is a local cycling club dedicated to ending all
forms of child abuse. Wheels of Justice welcomes all types of
riders (roadies, mountain bikers, triathletes, commuters,
casual riders, etc.) and even non-riders to its team. A
nonprofit corporation, it raises money and awareness and
provides limited pro bono legal services to support four
outstanding organizations making a difference in our
community: Prevent Child Abuse Utah (PCAU), Friends of the
Salt Lake County Children’s Justice Center (Friends of
the CJC), Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), and the
Utah Domestic Violence Coalition (UDVC). Each of these
organizations addresses specific aspects of child abuse.
Together, they address all facets and stages of abuse, from
prevention to recovery.
Prevent
Child Abuse Utah
The
mission of PCAU is to forge and guide a community commitment
to prevent child abuse in all forms through education,
services, and public awareness. PCAU provides prevention
education to both students and adults throughout the state.
Its student presentations include child abuse prevention,
bullying prevention, internet safety, and healthy
relationships. Its adult presentations are geared towards
adults working with children and the overall community. It
also administers a sexual abuse prevention training program
for parents and caregivers. All of PCAU’s education is
evidence-informed, age-based, and free of charge.
PCAU’s
logo is a blue pinwheel. PCAU explains that the pinwheel
“represents the carefree and innocent childhood we all
wish for the children in our lives. The pinwheel symbolizes
the innocence of childhood and the bright, happy future every
child deserves.”
Friends
of the Salt Lake County Children’s Justice
Center
The
Friends of the CJC is a private nonprofit that provides
support to the Salt Lake County Children’s Justice
Center. The Children’s Justice Center (CJC) is a public
entity supported by state, federal, and county funding, as
well as the caring generosity of donors, sponsors, and grants
to provide the best possible care for children, teens, and
family members impacted by crime.
The
CJC’s expert team empowers child abuse victims to
become survivors. The team provides crisis support, onsite
medical exams, sensitive forensic interview sessions to
record their statements, referrals to trauma...
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