Social taboos, fragmented systems, limited funding, and political sensitivities mean that child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention is often perceived as too complex to scale. Yet across the world, organizations are demonstrating that it is possible and already happening. Building on Spring Impact's previous ISPCAN Network webinar on the fundamentals of scaling impact, this session dives deeper into what it truly takes to scale prevention-focused initiatives. Spring Impact was joined by leaders from organizations that have successfully taken CSA prevention efforts to scale. Together, they shared key lessons from Spring Impact’s latest research, grounded in real-world experience across multiple national contexts. The session explored what enables prevention initiatives to achieve sustained, system-level impact, how prevention can be embedded within public systems, and how to overcome the constraints that organizations commonly encounter.
Key messages from the webinar:
- Scaling is both art and science – Real-world scale requires balancing evidence, resources, context, and timing. Understanding what works and what can be adapted is critical to successful expansion.
- Readiness is important – Knowing when your solution is ready to scale is essential. This involves having sufficient evidence of impact, clarity on core components versus adaptable elements, and an understanding of the system you are entering.
- Partnerships are key – Working with governments, local organizations, and communities can help reach more children/beneficiaries and make solutions last.
- Evidence helps, but context counts too – Having good research is important, but adapting to local systems, culture, and circumstances can be just as critical.
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