by Written by Sulwa Siraj
The 37th annual Crimes Against Children conference, organized by the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), is anticipated to bring together thousands of child safety experts in Downtown Dallas this August.
The conference, which will take place at the Sheraton Hotel from August 3–7, will feature over 275 expert-led sessions that address new risks to children’s safety. Over 92,000 professionals from a variety of areas, including law enforcement, social work, and medicine, have received training from the conference since its inception. More than 5,300 people from all around the nation and abroad attended the conference last year, and organizers hope that this year’s attendance will be comparable, with delegates from 15 other nations.
“The core of the conference is a shared commitment to protecting children and mobilizing the field to do better across disciplines and agencies by working together,” stated Iris Burch, president and CEO of DCAC.
With pressing topics like sextortion, child sex trafficking, trauma-informed treatment, and the moral challenges presented by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, this year’s agenda demonstrates that dedication. Professionals managing digital platforms such as TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat will also receive help in special workshops.
According to Burch, we are constantly competing to be aware of and adaptable to new technologies. To respond to these crimes as effectively as possible, we must keep learning and changing.
Each year, the conference gives experts vital tools to help stop additional harm to children, which frequently results in real breakthroughs and useful advancements.
According to Burch, we frequently hear about how people’s work has changed as a result of their knowledge of particular cases or strategies (such as cold cases or questioning offenders). Additionally, we observe how participants eventually become speakers, which is evidence of the value of education and dedication to the profession.
Additionally, this year’s conference is the first following the death of Lieutenant Bill Walsh, a longtime Dallas Police Department officer and co-founder of DCAC.
More than thirty years ago, when there were only forty people present and two presenters, Walsh helped start the conference. His ambition continues today with an event that attracts thousands of experts and promotes international cooperation in the field of child protection.
According to Burch, that sense of community is still essential to the experience.
Burch expressed his hope that the conference’s attendees will depart with a renewed sense of purpose and strength. This labor can be burdensome, lonely, and unappreciated. I sincerely hope that everyone who comes away from the event feels validated, inspired, and reminded that they are not alone. We’ve done our job if they depart knowing that they are vital to the work and that it is sacrosanct.
Outside of the conference, DCAC keeps up its year-round goal of helping Dallas County’s most seriously abused children. In order to ensure that the conference’s influence lasts long after it concludes, the organization organizes investigations and offers trauma recovery assistance to over 12,000 children and family members each year.
Visit cacconference.org to learn more about the conference. Visit dcac.org to find out more about DCAC’s work.
Through the University of North Texas’ Scripps Howard Foundation Emerging Journalist Program, Sulwa Siraj is an intern for Texas Metro News. She likes to study psychology, read, and listen to music.
