06/16/2026
APSAC Colloquium: Team Takeaways 📍
One of the most valuable parts of attending conferences like APSAC is the opportunity to learn from experts, challenge assumptions, and engage in conversations that deepen our understanding of child protection.
Several members of the Silverleaf team attended sessions that left a lasting impression.
Emily Neel reflected on a plenary discussion about child abuse and child protection, which explored how society's understanding of abuse has evolved over time and across cultures, laws, and professional disciplines. One takeaway that resonated with her was the importance of continually asking what truly serves the best interests of the child and how a child's role functions within their family system.
Another session focused on the growing impact of artificial intelligence on child exploitation investigations. The discussion highlighted how AI-generated child sexual abuse material is creating new challenges for investigators and child protection professionals.
🗣️ "One of the things that stands out to me is how AI is impacting the dark underworld of child po*******hy by giving predators new access thus making it more difficult to uncover actual human victims. It's daunting." — Cathy Brown
🗣️ "I agree with that as well. I didn't understand how serious of an issue AI could be!" — Ashley Huff
🗣️ "Because of AI, investigators may spend valuable time, energy, and resources [trying] to find a child who doesn't actually exist. My thought was: how many REAL children are being missed because efforts are being spent on AI-generated children? That must feel so frustrating, heartbreaking, and hopeless to the investigators who are spending their [lives] trying to save children." — Kelly McCormack
Andrea Marshall-Powell attended sessions that challenged common misconceptions while highlighting the realities of child maltreatment. Among her takeaways were the importance of understanding that virginity cannot be determined through a medical exam and that so-called "virginity testing" is considered unethical and harmful. She also learned sobering statistics about child maltreatment and its impact on children in the United States.
While the topics varied, they shared a common theme: effective child protection requires ongoing education, collaboration, and a willingness to continue learning as our understanding evolves.
We're grateful for opportunities like APSAC that help strengthen our work and bring valuable knowledge back to the children and families we serve.
