Prevent Child Abuse - New Jersey will take to the state capitol on Thursday to announce a new campaign throughout the state that will combat child sexual abuse through preventative training and programs.

Headquartered in New Brunswick, Prevent Child Abuse - New Jersey is a state funded organization that provides programs and training to organizations throughout the state for the purpose of preventing child abuse.

Rather than addressing abuse after it happens, the organization aims to prevent it altogether by providing services to families throughout the state via home visitation programs, support groups and community outreach.

The organization's newest endeavor will address the prevention of child sexual assault and will be piloted in Essex, Warren, Sussex and Mercer Counties, according to executive director Rush Russell.

"This is a moment," Russell said, of high profile cases of child abuse, such as the ongoing case at Penn State.

As a result, conversations have been plentify lately as to what can be done to further address child abuse and how to keep it from happening, Russell said.

"Enough Abuse" has already involved the meeting of a group of advocates and experts on child sexual assault from all over New Jersey.

The group came up with a plan outlining proper training for parents and organizations, as well as legislative suggestions. The guidelines were then put out to the respective communities to be implemented.

Wynona's House in Newark, Project Self-Sufficiency in Warren and Sussex Counties and PEI Kids in Mercer County are the pilot organizations taking the lead in training and advocacy in New Jersey for this campaign, Russell said.

"Education and prevention are the keys to saving children, and New Jersey is leading these efforts to prevent child sexual abuse - before it ever happens," according to a Nov. 16 press release from Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey.

The "Enough Abuse" campaign is an evidence-based model that began in Massachusetts, and is now being implemented in other states via the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Center for Disease Control, according to Russell.

According to Russell, 90 percent of child sexual assault cases are perpetrated by someone the victim and the family already knows.

"Stranger danger" is widely discussed by parents, but sexual assault awareness and prevention is not, Russell said.

One of the goals of the campaign is to make that topic easier for parents to discuss with their children, such as knowing how to recognize warning signs and knowing your parental rights to information regarding your children's after school programs or recreational activities, Russell said.

The press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. Thursday on the steps of the capitol building in Trenton. According to the organization, representatives from the three pilot organizations will be introduced to the public and will explain what their roles will be in carrying out the campaign.

For more information on the "Enough Abuse" campaign and Prevent Child Abuse - New Jersey, visit www.preventchildabusenj.org.