The latest research surrounding child sexual abuse in Bermuda calls for a multifaceted plan of action. This is an issue that has not only plagued our country for generations but will continue to cost us as a community if we don’t work together to strategically combat the problem.

We must prevent child abuse from happening, implement policy, strengthen legislation and assist those who have been impacted by this trauma.

There are several ways we can do this and it starts with prevention. Preventative education means teaching both adults and children how to recognise the signs of abuse and effectively respond.

Get Scars trained so you can learn to be a safe adult by knowing what to look for and what to do if a child discloses.

Ask your school about CPC’s Safety Matters so that children can learn about red flags and identify safe adults.

Ultimately, it is an adult’s responsibility to keep our children safe. The negative effect this has on children is indisputable and the subsequent impact on adulthood can include medical and mental health problems, struggles with addiction, as well as interpersonal issues.

We need to keep talking about solutions and successfully implement them because one child who is affected is one person too many.

Further to this letter, we will be proposing policy and legislative changes that address sex offender management, sentencing guidelines and other recommendations that aim to effectively prevent further victimisation.

We appreciate that this difficult conversation is being had in the first place and we commend Scars for their persistence when it comes to revealing secrets with the purpose of preventing and healing from the trauma of child sexual abuse.

• Kelly Hunt is the executive director of the Coalition for the Protection of Children