Teens, Tweens, and Everything-In-Betweens: An Expert Panel Discussion on Teen Healthy Sexual Development and Protecting Teens from Sexual Abuse

Do you feel anxious about how to interact and engage with teenagers? In the age of social media and technology, the generational gap seems wider than ever. That’s why we’ve created an expert panel on teen healthy sexual development and keeping teens safe from sexual abuse, especially in the age of increased technology use. This panel aims to provide a space for community members and caregivers to express their questions and concerns about teenage behavior and equip them with the knowledge and tools to respond.

Interpretation services will be available. 

Register here

Teens, Tweens and Everything In-Betweens Panel Members

Dr. Allison M. Jackson MD, MPH (she/her)

Division Chief of the Child and Adolescent Protection Center | Children’s National Hospital

Associate Professor of Pediatrics | George Washington University

Allison Jackson, MD, MPH, is the Division Chief of the Child and Adolescent Protection Center of Children’s National Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at George Washington University.  She completed her undergraduate education at Harvard Radcliffe University, and attended Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and School of Public health for medical school and her Master of Public Health, after which she completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.  Dr. Jackson has been a child abuse pediatrician for over 20 years, evaluating and treating children victimized by all forms of child maltreatment.  As an extension of her clinical work, she testifies as a medical expert throughout the region and provides physician leadership to the District of Columbia’s Multidisciplinary Team on Child Abuse.

Dr. Jackson is a member of the Children’s Academy of Pediatric Educators at Children’s National through which she is working to improve early identification of abuse by physicians by enhancing the education of pediatricians on the recognition and response to child physical abuse.  Dr. Jackson also provides clinical and didactic instruction to medical students, residents, fellows, and to child-serving professionals in the region child maltreatment and its impact across the lifespan. More recently, she has been highlighting the intersection of child maltreatment and domestic violence and is the recipient of a Demonstration Grant through the Administration for Children and Families Family and Youth Services Bureau to address the needs of children exposed to domestic violence and their abused parent, and better educate the professionals that serve them.

Dr. Jackson is a 2014 recipient of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families Commissioner’s Award, was the inaugural recipient of an Endowed Professorship by the Washington Children’s Foundation in 2017 and was a 2019 Washingtonian of the year. In recognition of her advocacy on behalf of victims and survivors of child maltreatment reflected in her service locally, regionally, and nationally, she also an Affiliate Faculty Member of the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National. Dr. Jackson has been a primary and co-investigator for various research protocols and has several publications.

Caitlin Viccora (she/they)

Program Manager, Healthy and Supportive Schools | Advocates For Youth

Caitlin Viccora (she/they) is the Program Manager, Healthy and Supportive Schools at Advocates For Youth. She is responsible for supporting capacity-building for 28 Local Education Agencies in adolescent sexual health education & services through a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. They have seven years of experience in project management for a variety of federally-funded global and domestic health projects. Prior to this role, Caitlin served as a research assistant on a teen pregnancy prevention project funded by the Office of Adolescent Health while completing their graduate studies. Caitlin holds a Masters of Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a B.A. from James Madison University.

Jordan Barksdale (she/her)

Teen Advocacy Services Coordinator | Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center

Jordan Barksdale attended Spelman College and received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a mental concentration in 2017. From there, she went on to attend Bowie State University where she obtained a Master of Arts in mental health counseling in 2021. Upon graduation, Jordan joined Safe Shores—The DC Children’s Advocacy Center as the Teen Advocacy Services Coordinator. In her role, Jordan provides crisis intervention and advocacy support to youth 13 – 17 years old (and family as desired) during the initial medical and/or law enforcement response to sexual assault, assists youth in identifying options/services available to them, provides psychoeducation on trauma, and offers ongoing support and assistance for youth (and families as desired). In addition to her client-facing duties, Jordan also provides administrative support and coordinates with other involved service providers or government agencies, in accordance with the Sexual Assault Victims’ Rights Amendment Act of 2019.

Jordan has always been passionate about pouring back into the community through education and advocacy; as an undergraduate student at Spelman, she worked in various mental health settings such as psychiatric hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and group homes for teenagers. While matriculating at Bowie State University, she worked a community mental health agency where she provided therapy services to adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. When Jordan isn’t working with teens and their families, she enjoys watching reality television, drinking hot tea, and cuddling with her dog Pepper.

Cara Morro (she/her)

Child and Adolescent Therapist | Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center

As a Child and Adolescent Therapist in Safe Shores Clinical Department, Cara provides trauma-informed therapy to children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, commercial sexual exploitation, or witnessed violence. Cara also provides support and resources to children’s non-offending caregivers. Cara works from a strengths-based, culturally sensitive perspective and believes that every individual/family is the expert on their own lives and experiences. Cara also co-facilitates the Caregiver Support Group in English that provides education and dedicated support to non-offending caregivers of children who have experienced sexual abuse.

Before joining the team at Safe Shores, Cara worked in a variety of clinical settings (hospital, school, and outpatient clinics) providing individual and group therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. She has specialized training in developmental trauma, complex grief, and mental illness.

Kaylan Weems (she/they) (Moderator)

Prevention & Outreach Associate | Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center

As the Prevention & Outreach Associate in the Prevention & Outreach Department at Safe Shores, Kaylan facilitates trainings for the DC community, including Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training and Prevent Child Abuse Vermont’s Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development™. Alongside facilitating trainings, Kaylan provides expertise on best practices for child sexual abuse prevention and uses evidence-based approaches inform their work. Kaylan has previously worked with international organizations to provide trainings on human trafficking prevention, child development, and trauma-informed education to refugees and displaced persons.

During their time working at Safe Shores, Kaylan is also completing her graduate degree in International Development Studies at George Washington University with a focus in human development and public health. Working full-time in child sexual abuse prevention has informed her approach to international development by emphasizing the importance of empowering vulnerable populations, such as women and children, while using a bottom-up development approach.