World Childhood Foundation USA is proud to announce the release of the
The U.S. Out of the Shadows Index examines the actions—and inactions—taken by individual states to address child sexual abuse and exploitation.
This report scores all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.
Researched and developed by the Economist Impact and Supported by World Childhood Foundation USA
Watch: 2025 U.S. Out of the Shadows Index Launch Event Panel Discussion
Panelists:
Anthony Edwards – Actor (“Top Gun,” “ER”), survivor and advocate
Mary L. Pulido, PhD – Executive Director, World Childhood Foundation USA
Fmr. Sen. Lauren Book (Fla.) – Survivor and advocate for child protection
Aaron Stone – Ret. U.S. Military, survivor and advocate
Moderated by:
Journalist Byron Pitts, co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.”
Child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) is a devastating issue affecting millions of children across the United States (US). While estimates vary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that at least one-in-four girls and one-in-20 boys in the U.S. will experience sexual abuse during childhood.
Yet, CSAE prevention and response efforts remain inconsistent across states. Many of the systems responsible for keeping children safe—including education systems, child protection, criminal justice and healthcare services—are primarily the responsibility of individual states. As a result, policy and practice often vary widely, while also making it complex to identify gaps and track progress.
To help shine a light on this critical issue, the US Out of the Shadows Index explores the steps individual states are taking to tackle CSAE. The index provides a roadmap for action, helping policymakers, advocates and communities identify what is working, where progress is stalled and what must be done to bring CSAE out of the shadows.
Scored 0-100, where 100 = best.
Key Findings
- Despite growing awareness of CSAE, state-level prevention and response remains insufficient and fragmented. Across the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC) the average score in the index is just 49.9 out of 100. If these scores were equated to academic grades, just five states—Washington, Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Oregon—and D.C. would achieve above an F grade (Figure 1).
- Prevention capacity building is dragging down states’ index scores. Notable gaps include the absence of statewide action plans, limited professional training requirements and a lack of institutional policies that set clear standards for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct.
- While many states have policies and programs that are critical to preventing CSAE, a lack of requirements that such measures be implemented leave gaps. Although a majority of states (38) and DC having laws addressing school-based child sexual abuse prevention education, just over half mandate that students receive this instruction. The remainder encourage or permit such education, without explicitly requiring it.
- Systems often fail to account for the impacts of trauma and the barriers survivors encounter when seeking justice and support. For example, statutes of limitations (SOLs)—the legally defined timeframes within which criminal charges or civil claims must be filed—remain an obstacle in many states. Such restrictions often conflict with the lived reality of survivors, who may need decades to come forward, making short SOLs and time-barred support unfair.
- Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) play a key role in the response to CSAE, yet funding challenges continue to hinder operations. CACs bring together a multidisciplinary team of professionals—including police, child protection services, medical professionals and more—to work collaboratively under one roof and ensure the child’s well-being remains a central priority. Yet many CACs report persistent funding challenges, exacerbated by federal cuts, limiting their capacity to meet service standards and growing demand.
- Many states are taking action to address children’s safety online, including protection from online sexual harms. Already in 2025, more than 45 state legislatures have introduced a range of measures related to children’s online safety and social media use. Yet many of these bills have also drawn criticism, with concerns voiced over enforceability and potential restrictions of free speech and other rights. What is clear, however, is that child online safety must be part of a broader, evidence-informed strategy—one that includes digital literacy education in schools, training and tools for investigators, and stronger accountability mechanisms, including for the platforms where abuse often occurs.
The overarching conclusion is stark: the US needs to do more to protect its children from CSAE. There is a critical need for political commitment and leadership, increased coordination and accountability and sustained investment to address this pressing crisis.
CSAE is a preventable, not inevitable, problem.
Together, we must create a country where every child is free from harm.
Please join us in advocating for change by contacting the policymakers in your community and state.
Index Rankings for all States
Prevention
Response
Overall
1 Washington 64
2 Illinois 63.7
3 Texas 63
4 New Jersey 62.1
5 District of Columbia 60.6
6 Oregon 60.3
7 Connecticut 59.1
8 Maryland 57.6
9 Pennsylvania 57.4
9 Vermont 57.4
11 Delaware 56.3
12 New York 56
12 Rhode Island 56
14 Tennessee 55.1
15 Colorado 54.7
16 Utah 54.3
17 Iowa 53.7
18 Massachusetts 53.6
19 Virginia 52.9
20 Nevada 51.9
21 Florida 50
21 Ohio 50
— AVERAGE 49.9
23 Nebraska 49.4
24 New Hampshire 49.1
24 Wisconsin 49.1
26 California 48.9
27 New Mexico 48.7
28 Oklahoma 48.6
29 Kentucky 48.2
30 Minnesota 47.8
31 West Virginia 47.5
32 Michigan 47.1
33 Louisiana 46.8
33 Missouri 46.8
35 Indiana 46.5
35 Maine 46.5
37 Georgia 46.1
38 Hawaii 45.6
39 Arkansas 44.5
40 Montana 43.4
41 Alaska 42.4
42 Arizona 41.9
43 Alabama 41.7
43 South Carolina 41.7
45 Idaho 41.5
46 North Carolina 41.2
47 North Dakota 41.1
48 Mississippi 40.5
49 Kansas 40.3
50 South Dakota 37.9
51 Wyoming 35.2
Legal Protections & Criminal Provisions
1 New Jersey 83.7
2 Colorado 80.6
2 Washington 80.6
4 Vermont 79.6
5 Illinois 77.9
6 Pennsylvania 76.8
7 New Hampshire 76.5
8 Minnesota 75.5
9 Louisiana 74.8
10 Florida 74.3
11 Maryland 73.5
12 New York 73.2
13 District of Columbia 72.9
14 Nevada 71
15 South Dakota 70.4
15 Texas 70.4
17 Wisconsin 69.8
18 Rhode Island 68.8
19 Ohio 68.4
20 Oregon 68.1
21 West Virginia 67.9
22 Utah 67.7
23 Michigan 67.3
24 Maine 66.7
25 Oklahoma 66.6
26 Delaware 66.1
27 Connecticut 65.7
— AVERAGE 65.5
28 Tennessee 64.1
29 Kentucky 63.9
30 Iowa 62.8
31 Montana 62
32 Georgia 61.6
33 Arkansas 61.4
34 Missouri 60.4
35 Virginia 59.6
36 South Carolina 59.5
36 Wyoming 59.5
38 Mississippi 59.4
39 Indiana 59.3
40 Massachusetts 58.6
41 Alaska 57.8
42 Arizona 56
42 Idaho 56
44 Nebraska 55.4
45 North Dakota 55.1
46 Kansas 54.7
47 Alabama 54.1
48 New Mexico 53.6
49 California 51.6
50 North Carolina 50.8
51 Hawaii 50.7
Prevention Capacity
Building
1 Oregon 51
2 District of Columbia 48.5
3 Illinois 48.2
4 Texas 47.2
5 New Jersey 45.6
6 Pennsylvania 45
7 Connecticut 44.4
8 Maryland 43.9
9 Rhode Island 43
10 North Carolina 41.5
11 Delaware 41.1
11 Tennessee 41.1
13 Missouri 40.9
14 Massachusetts 40.7
15 Georgia 40.2
15 Washington 40.2
17 Virginia 38.9
18 Vermont 38.5
19 Alabama 37.1
20 West Virginia 37
21 Iowa 36.8
22 Utah 36.7
23 Nevada 36.1
23 New York 36.1
25 Ohio 35.7
26 Colorado 34.8
— AVERAGE 34.4
27 Wisconsin 34
28 Florida 33.8
29 California 32.7
29 Indiana 32.7
31 New Hampshire 31.8
32 Oklahoma 31.5
33 Alaska 31.1
33 Nebraska 31.1
35 Michigan 30.1
36 Arizona 28.9
37 North Dakota 28.2
38 Kentucky 27.9
38 Minnesota 27.9
40 Arkansas 27.6
40 Hawaii 27.6
42 New Mexico 26.9
43 Mississippi 26.1
44 Maine 25.7
45 Montana 25.5
46 Wyoming 25.2
47 South Carolina 24.7
48 South Dakota 21.7
49 Kansas 21.5
50 Idaho 20.4
51 Louisiana 10
Provision of Support Services
1 Illinois 82.8
2 Washington 82.3
3 Oregon 81.7
4 Connecticut 78.9
5 Rhode Island 75.2
6 New Mexico 74.4
7 District of Columbia 74.3
7 New York 74.3
9 Tennessee 71.7
10 Utah 70.7
11 Maryland 70.6
12 Nebraska 69.8
13 Iowa 69.4
14 New Jersey 69.2
15 Louisiana 68.5
16 Texas 68.3
17 Hawaii 66.5
18 Oklahoma 66.3
19 Pennsylvania 66
20 California 65
21 Virginia 62.6
22 Maine 62.3
23 Massachusetts 62.2
24 Vermont 61.7
25 Ohio 61.4
26 Delaware 60.3
27 Colorado 60.2
28 Michigan 60.1
— AVERAGE 59.4
29 New Hampshire 58.2
30 Nevada 57.5
31 Florida 56
32 South Carolina 55.3
33 West Virginia 54.1
34 Kentucky 53.9
35 Arkansas 52.1
36 North Dakota 51.6
37 Idaho 50.8
38 Missouri 49.8
39 Kansas 48.9
40 Wisconsin 48.3
41 Arizona 47.5
42 Mississippi 47
43 Indiana 45.9
44 Alaska 44.8
45 Georgia 44.7
46 Alabama 42.6
47 Minnesota 42
48 North Carolina 41.2
49 Montana 40.8
50 Wyoming 35.6
51 South Dakota 23.2
Justice
Process
1 Texas 66
2 Delaware 57.5
3 Washington 52.9
4 Massachusetts 52.8
5 Virginia 50.5
6 New Jersey 49.9
6 Vermont 49.9
8 Indiana 48.1
9 Connecticut 47.4
10 Kentucky 47.1
11 District of Columbia 46.9
12 California 46.2
13 Illinois 45.9
13 Minnesota 45.9
15 Iowa 45.7
16 Montana 45.2
17 Wisconsin 44.5
18 Tennessee 43.4
19 Colorado 43.1
20 Nevada 42.8
21 Maryland 42.5
22 Utah 42
23 Pennsylvania 41.7
24 Nebraska 41.5
— AVERAGE 40.3
25 Oregon 40.3
26 New York 40.2
27 New Mexico 39.8
28 Idaho 38.8
29 Georgia 38
30 Hawaii 37.6
31 Rhode Island 37.1
32 Arkansas 36.9
33 South Dakota 36.4
34 Kansas 36.2
35 Florida 36.1
36 Alaska 36
36 Missouri 36
38 Arizona 35.2
39 Ohio 34.5
40 Louisiana 34
41 Alabama 33.1
42 North Carolina 31.4
43 Maine 31.1
43 Michigan 31.1
45 West Virginia 30.9
46 New Hampshire 30.1
47 Oklahoma 29.9
48 Mississippi 29.5
49 North Dakota 29.4
50 South Carolina 27.4
51 Wyoming 20.5
Report and State Profiles
Download our most recent state profiles (2025) to learn more about the actions individual states are taking to address CSAE.
Download the full report and the state profiles below.
Report and State Profiles
Access the latest report and state-by-state profiles to see how children are affected across the United States. This new resource provides clear, research-based insights designed to inform policy, advocacy, and action at both national and local levels.
See How Your State Compares
Dive into comprehensive data, key findings, and individual state profiles to better understand the landscape and identify where progress is needed most.
Download our methodology report and index data for more details on the index.
This link will automatically download to your computer. You will be prompted to enable macros in Excel, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Macro Settings, then select “Enable all macros (not recommended)”
Global Out of the Shadows Index
A 2026 global OOSI study, researched and developed by the Economist Impact with support led by Together for Girls, showed how the U.S. compares to other countries around the world. The U.S. scored a 67.2 out of 100 clearly showing that action is needed to end the sexual abuse of children.You can be redirected to the Global OOSI study to learn more here: United States | Out of the Shadows.
“It is our hope that the U.S. Out of the Shadows Index will serve as a roadmap for change—informing policy reform, galvanizing action, and driving accountability at every level. Protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation is not only a legal and moral imperative—it is a societal responsibility.”
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