i found this fantastic website. it is for the group darkness to light. on their website, they have a downloadable booklet: seven steps to protecting our children.
i will be publishing pieces of this booklet here on my blog--in honor of child abuse awareness month, and also as part of my personal mission to prevent child abuse.
as adults, we are responsible for the safety of our children. we CAN prevent abuse!
What is child sexual abuse?
-Any sexual act between an adult and a minor, or between to minors when one exerts power over the other.
-Forcing, coercing, or persuading a child to engage in any type of sexual act. This, of course, includes sexual contact. It also includes non-contact acts such as exhibitionism, exposure to pornography, voyeurism and communicating in a sexual manner by phone or Internet.
-An agonizing and traumatic experience for its victims.
-A crime punishable by law.
Child sexual abuse is a very complex problem, and this booklet touches on only a small part of it. The information we provide is not a substitute for the advice of professionals. It is only to give you simple, proactive steps to help protect children.
A child’s safety is an adult’s job. Children are often taught how to keep themselves safe from sexual abuse — and that’s important for them to learn — but it’s no substitute for adult responsibility. We make sure children wear seat belts. We walk them across busy streets. We store toxic household cleaners out of reach. Why, then, would we leave the job of preventing
child sexual abuse solely to children?
Imagine how difficult it is for a child to say “no” to a parent, a teacher, a coach, or clergy.
Even the adults we trust to protect children can’t always be trusted. Coaches, teachers, clergy, and parents are authority figures children feel they can trust. Yet, a large percentage of those who sexually abuse children are from this group. These are adults who have the opportunity to “groom” children with affection and attention, making it difficult for children to identify certain behaviors as abuse. And they know that children have been taught to “mind” them. This is why programs that focus on adult responsibility are essential.
darkness2light.org
Helpline: 1-866-367-5444
Darkness to Light
7 Radcliffe Street, Suite 200
Charleston, SC 29403
© 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Darkness to Light
1 comment:
Hi there, just found your blog from the carnival against child abuse.
I am inspired to see someone so committed to ending child abuse! And I think it's awesome that you are so actively turning your hellish experience into a way to help others.
Thank you for sharing, and for your work on ending childhood sexual abuse.
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