Author ~ Speaker ~ Advocate

Author, journalist, and speaker Joelle Casteix is one of the leading global advocates and spokespeople for survivors of child sexual assault and cover-up. A survivor of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, her own fight for justice led her to a career helping other victims who lack a voice.

Joelle is a media staple and legislator go-to for her insights. Her expertise includes how institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church, public schools, and other organizations cover up and enable child sexual assault; the role parents play in prevention; and how to eradicate and end the cycle through emerging technology and strong victim-friendly legislation. She has testified on behalf of victim-friendly legislation in numerous states and was the sole victim selected to testify on behalf of California’s AB 218, a landmark three-year civil window for survivors of child sexual abuse in the state.

As a founding member of the board of directors of the Zero Abuse Project, she helped launch ZeroAbuse.ai, an innovative AI tool that evaluates the risk factors that suggest potential predatory individuals within an organization and those associated with cover-up.

In her role at Zero Abuse, Joelle has presented for numerous United Nations member agencies across Europe. She has become a leading expert on digital accountability, speaking at The Hague and to international audiences focusing on AI and digital integrity.

Joelle is the award-winning author of the bestsellers The Well-Armored Child: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Child Sexual Abuse (RiverGrove Books) and The Power of Responsibility (based on her wildly successful TEDx talk.). She is also the author of numerous white papers on matters concerning institutional child sex abuse and cover-up. Joelle is also a member of the adjunct faculty of the UCI School of Law. Her TEDx talk is being used by therapists in the clinic setting to help survivors of abuse and assault.

Joelle’s other books include: The Compassionate Response: How to help and empower the adult victim of child sexual abuse, and Scram! A Parent’s Quick-Start Guide to Preventing, Identifying, and Ending Bullying.