Rosemary Webb, Co-President

For the past three and a half decades, Rosemary Wooden Webb has dedicated herself to Primary Prevention efforts - preventing abuse before it happens. As a teen, she lobbied Congress to watch a CBS "Sixty Minutes" segment on child pornography. The piece was based on the investigative reporting of her father, child advocate Ken Wooden, and led to creation of the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation Act of 1977. This was the first federal legislative effort to regulate child pornography and provide funding for survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation. Twenty five years later, Rosemary was invited to The White House as a child safety expert to witness President Bush's Rose Garden signing of the PROTECT Act, which formally established the federal government's role in the Amber Alert System and increased penalties for crimes against children. Rosemary appeared as spokesperson in a series of national PSA's produced by John Walsh (America's Most Wanted) and has appeared regularly as a personal safety expert on local and national media.

Rosemary was invited to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland to present CLP/TLP's evidence-based curricula (Think First & Stay Safe™ and Teen Lures TV Newscast™) as model initiatives during the inaugural event "Preventing Sexual Abuse of Children: An Educational Toolbox" at the United Nations 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, November 14th, 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CLP/TLP provided all their educational clients/partners with free digital access to both curricula. In partnership with Holly's House CAC in Evansville, Indiana, Rosemary helped create the free bulletin “Impact of COVID-19 on Child Abuse: Considerations for the 2020-2021 School Year.” This helpful bulletin and additional COVID Considerations can be accessed at https://childluresprevention.com/covid-19-considerations/

Rosemary has also been recognized as a Giraffe Project Hero. This nonprofit honors Giraffe Heroes—compassionate risk-takers who are largely unknown, people who have the courage to stick their necks out for the common good, in the US and around the world. Rosemary, and her colleague/sister Jennifer Wooden Mitchell, are following in the footsteps of their father, Giraffe Hero Ken Wooden.

Rosemary co-founded Child Lures Prevention with Ken Wooden and sister, Jennifer Mitchell in Shelburne, Vermont. Together, they created the Think First & Stay Safe School Program, based on Ken Wooden's groundbreaking interviews with hundreds of convicted child molesters and the family's subsequent work in countless classrooms across the country. Rosemary also co-authored the program's Parent Guide and Student Workbook, which are widely used, both with the school program and independently.

The turn-key Think First & Stay Safe™ School Program was the sole prevention program featured at the most recent White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children. It is currently used in thousands of schools/school districts and faith-based organizations, as well as by child advocacy centers, youth groups and other child-serving organizations. Rosemary collaborates with these groups, as well as with countless survivors, to bring primary prevention efforts to their communities. She regularly presents at conferences and provides in-service training for school districts.

Realizing the power of media, combined with peer teaching, Rosemary teamed up with colleague Jennifer Mitchell to develop the Teen Lures TV Newscast School Program. The TV Newscast gives teens the opportunity to serve as news anchors, broadcasting sexual assault awareness and prevention facts to their peers via live performances, taped presentations, and, where available, closed-circuit or cable TV. Accompanying Class Discussion Plans allow all students to engage in serious dialogue concerning personal safety. Rosemary also co-authored the corresponding parent-teen handbook, Let's Talk Teens, which includes collaboration with national organizations such as RAINN, Love is Respect, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Nat'l Center for Victims of Crime, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Privacy Rights and Wired Safety.

In 2019, a Campus and Community Safety guide for Grade 12 students was added to the suite of prevention education materials. The guide is a vital resource for young adults entering the community-at-large or college, military, workplace and athletic campuses. It includes safety and security tips on Apartment/Dorm Safety, Identity Theft, Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Parties & Social Events, Consent, Dating Abuse, Date Rape Drugs, Active Shooter Situations and Human (Sex) Trafficking with Helplines & Reporting resources. www.teenluresprevention.com.

Rosemary garnered an Emmy Award for co-producing, "Smart Choices, Safe Kids: A Child Lures Prevention Town Hall Meeting, which was broadcast statewide throughout Illinois in 2006, compliments of NBC-5 Chicago. She has also helped coordinate broadcast of the Child Lures Television News Series in over 70 ADI TV markets across the country. In 2009, South Korea's Educational Broadcast System (EBS) turned to Child Lures Prevention to help produce a successful 3-part Educational Documentary on keeping Korea's children safe, which was viewed by millions of families throughout South Korea.

Rosemary has enjoyed alliances with USA Gymnastics, Mercy Ships and Erin's Law. Internationally, Rosemary is a Board Member of the Global Army Against Child Abuse, headed by Mrs. Ronit Raphael of the international beauty brand L. Raphael Geneve. Rosemary has also coordinated initial prevention efforts in international communities with high needs and strong cultural resistance, securing funding for these projects through organizations like Rotary International.

During Vermont's creation of Act One, a comprehensive statewide approach to sexual abuse prevention, Rosemary testified before the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee at one of its special sessions concerning sexual offender protocol and laws. Rosemary also served as a member of the Vermont Department of Children and Families' Community Outreach Working Group, which created legislative recommendations on how most effectively to implement sexual abuse prevention education programming in Vermont. Also locally, Rosemary serves on the Prevention and Education Sub-Committee of the Chittenden (VT) Alliance Against Sexual and Domestic Violence Task Force. She is a member of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and an active Board Member at Vermont Commons School in South Burlington, Vermont.

On a personal note, Rosemary has been married for twenty six years to Scott Webb, an elementary school special educator. Together, they have two grown children. Rosemary enjoys spending time with her family, as well as music, cooking, gardening, reading, hiking, and sailing.

Rosemary can be reached at [email protected]