Initiative.

That’s all that it takes to make a difference on this campus, in your community, and across the country. “Penn State has the obligation to be a national leader in preventing child abuse,” says Charles Ferrer, a rising PSU senior who has created a petition for stronger child abuse reporting laws.

The petition, called “Penn Staters for an Act of CARE,” was released online here yesterday morning. It currently has 400 signatures and is hosted by Change.org.

Ferrer has steadily done research on the topic of sexual abuse, using RAINN and The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a guide. He found out that just 18 out of 50 states in the U.S. require all adults to report incidences of child abuse. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is not one of them. However, he also found that U.S. Senator of New Jersey, Bob Menendez, recently introduced legislation called the Child Abuse Reporting Enforcement (CARE) Act in order to standardize state laws to specify that all witnesses report abuse to law enforcement officials and child protective agencies.

Ferrer, a New Jersey native, decided that it was time to take action. He, along with friend Stephanie Zub (another PSU rising senior) have been trying their best with social media efforts to make sure that word gets out about the campaign. They created a Facebook event that currently has about 800 people attending, with over 4,000 invited.

The page suggests different ways to tweet (be sure to use the hashtag #PennStateActOfCARE), send appropriate e-mail messages, and update your Facebook status. They continue to stress that people cannot simply “attend” the event, but they must also sign the petition. In addition, this petition is not just for Penn Staters, but is just a way for the PSU community to take initiative.

“This is no easy task, but with the energy and passion that Penn Staters always exhibit, we have the power to ensure that all children are protected for future generations. It all starts one voice at a time,” says Ferrer.

Once the petition receives 5,000 signatures, the plans are to move forward and send the signatures to U.S. Senators and Representatives.

This is a chance for Penn Staters, young and old, to take part in an opportunity to really make a difference. Take 30 seconds out of your day to sign this petition.

To put it simply, take initiative.