AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
A presentation that opens a conversation
most communities have never had.
Colleen Mullowney's signature awareness presentation is the heart of SSTA AWARE's outreach mission. It is the first time many audiences have ever heard the words "sibling sexual abuse" spoken out loud in a public setting — and often the first time survivors in the room have felt seen.
Delivered in person or virtually, this 45-minute presentation weaves Colleen's personal story as a survivor and lived-experience expert with clear, accessible education on what sibling sexual trauma and abuse is, why it goes unspoken, and what each of us can do to change that. It does not require a professional background to understand — it requires a willingness to have the conversation.This is not a lecture. It is an invitation.
What the training covers
A Survivor's Story
Colleen opens with her own experience — not to shock, but to create permission. When someone stands in front of a room and says "this happened to me," it changes the conversation from abstract to real. Survivors in the audience feel seen. Everyone else understands why this matters.
What SSTA Is — and Why It Goes Unspoken
An accessible introduction to sibling sexual trauma and abuse: what it is, how prevalent it is (1 in 20 children), and why it is the most underreported form of childhood sexual abuse. Including why stigma, family loyalty, and the absence of public language have kept it hidden — and what happens when it stays that way.
Who Is Affected and How
SSTA doesn't only affect the child who was harmed. It ripples through siblings, parents, families, and communities. This section helps audiences understand the full human impact — including why survivors often carry this alone for years or decades, and what changes when the silence breaks.
The Systems Gap
Why is SSTA absent from professional training, prevention curricula, and policy frameworks? This section demystifies the structural reasons SSTA stays invisible — and introduces the #OneWord Initiative as a concrete, low-barrier way for organizations to be part of the solution.
What You Can Do
The presentation closes with a practical, hopeful call to action — for individuals, organizations, and communities. Every person in the room leaves with something concrete they can do: start a conversation, share a resource, bring the #OneWord Initiative to their organization, or simply choose not to stay silent.
Time for Questions
Learning happens in conversation, not just in content. This presentation is structured as an experiential learning experience — weaving personal narrative, guided reflection, and open dialogue into a session that invites participation throughout.
BOOK THIS TRAINING
Bring this training to your campus or community group.
This presentation is available in-person to college campuses, Church groups, parent support groups, and community organizations. All correspondence is completely private. SSTA AWARE does not provide clinical or crisis services.
"Our stories uncover the prevalence, patterns, and behaviors that drive research, education, recovery, and prevention. We grew from the need to bring the stories of lived experts out of the shadows — and into the public."
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— Colleen Mullowney, Founder · SSTA AWARE
#1
most underreported form of childhood sexual abuse
1 in 20
children estimated to experience sibling sexual abuse
45 min
interactive presentation
