UC Riverside has received a $1 million gift from the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation to help stop child abuse before it happens.

The gift will support efforts by Misaki Natsuaki, a professor of psychology in UCR’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, to evaluate and design a child abuse prevention research program.

More than 2 million children in the U.S will be reported abused each year, and thousands will die as a result, according to the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. UCR seeks to address the issue through scholarship and community engagement. 

“This incredible gift will lead to meaningful change in direct support of child well-being and resilience in our region, and beyond,” said Daryle Williams, dean of UCR’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Since joining UCR in 2009, Natsuaki has been studying how biological and environmental factors within family contexts interact to impact the mental health and development of children and adolescents. One of the key findings is that a safe, supportive family environment is an important ingredient for children to thrive.

“Unfortunately, the environment in which children are raised is not always supportive. It can become unsafe and rapidly lead to serious adversity, such as child abuse and maltreatment, which can significantly hinder a child’s development both in the short and long term,” Natsuaki said. “Therefore, it is critically important to prevent these issues before they occur and to identify at-risk children as early as possible.”

The collaboration with the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation will enable Natsuaki to put her research into action by developing, testing, and refining strategies to safeguard children from abuse before it takes place.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and the really humbling role that I'm taking,” said Natsuaki, a developmental psychologist who earned her doctorate in human development at UC Davis. “As an undergraduate student in Japan, my first research project was to develop a smoking prevention program for families with young children. This new collaboration will give me an opportunity to make a full circle in my research journey, allowing me to return to my roots and reaffirm my commitment to translating science into practical support for children.”

One of the tools available to Natsuaki is Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation’s free "Protect Yourself Rules" video series, which can be found at FightChildAbuse.org and tackles subjects like unsafe touching, bullying, and internet safety with age-appropriate materials targeted toward children in kindergarten through high school.

Natsuaki said she will begin the four-year project by learning from communities already using these resources. She will then evaluate the program’s effectiveness and develop ideas for a larger, multi-system prevention program.

The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation was founded in 1986 by Barbara and Frank Sinatra and serves more than 700 children annually at its facility in Rancho Mirage, California. More than 80% of children counseled at the center are from families below the national poverty line. No child is turned away because of their family’s inability to pay. In addition to counseling, the organization also shares knowledge about child abuse prevention, protection, education, and counseling through its publications, lectures, and its website. The research partnership with UCR will add a new dimension to the center’s prevention efforts.

“This donation to UCR is a meaningful extension of our Passion to Prevent Campaign, which is dedicated to advancing the prevention, research, and medical examination efforts surrounding child abuse,” said John Thoresen, director and executive officer of the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. “By supporting UCR’s important work, we’re helping to strengthen the understanding and resources needed to protect children and promote healing for survivors.”