Original Release Date: January 28, 2022
In episode four of our Perspectives on At-Home Sexual Assault Kits season, Just Science sat down with Laurieann Thorpe, the Executive Director at Prevent Child Abuse Utah, to continue our discussion on at-home sexual assault kits.
Prevent Child Abuse Utah is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public on preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. Listen along as Executive Director Thorpe discusses her career in child abuse prevention and response, and whether she believes at-home kits should play a role in addressing child sexual violence.
This episode of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].
Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Guest Biography
Laurieann Thorpe is the Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Utah and an advocate for children and families. At Prevent Child Abuse Utah, Laurieann oversees all management aspects of the successful nonprofit and administers programs that strengthen families and empower children. In February of 2020, Laurieann was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Utah State Board of Education. Prior to her work at Prevent Child Abuse Utah, Laurieann worked for the Utah State Board of Education in Dispute Resolution for students with disabilities. She oversaw educational programs for students in foster care and juvenile justice. She worked to improve the system where those at-risk students fell through the cracks. Laurieann was a foster parent, founded a nonprofit to support Utah foster families, and successfully advocated for an increase in foster rates and family-friendly policies for families in the state. Laurieann believes it is an adult’s responsibility to prevent child abuse and that children deserve happy childhoods, free from abuse and neglect. She has a Master's Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor's in Human Development and Family Studies, three cute kids, a very tall husband, and a crush on good books.
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this podcast episode are those of the presenter(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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