The Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County

Category: Trainings

  • Safe & Sound Day 4 – Modeling Healthy Behaviors

    Welcome to Day 4 of Safe & Sound!

    Today we’re talking about healthy relationships.

    Did you know that healthy relationships (being in one and observing them) are a critical protective factor against child abuse? When your child understands and experiences healthy relationships, they are better able to understand when a relationship is unhealthy. Help your child recognize red flags, and you make it much harder for an offender to gain your child’s trust.

    You teach your child about relationships every day.

    We have so many opportunities to demonstrate the characteristics of a healthy relationship to our kids. It begins at home, when a child is still in infancy, but can continue until, well, forever. The person (or people) caring for a young child teach early lessons about love and trust. As a parent, grandparent or caregiver, your relationship serves as a foundation for many of the other relationships your child will experience. These other relationships can include:

    • Friend: Outside the relationship between child and caregiver, this is one of the first relationships a child will experience.
    • Student to a teacher: This is another relationship that enters very early into a child’s life. It has the potential to shape their view of adults and school in general.
    • Coach to an athlete: A power dynamic is present in this relationship. It is a great space to practice boundaries.
    • Romantic partner: A child observes this type of relationship for many years before experiencing it themselves. A child may observe their caregiver(s) or other adult family members in romantic relationships. As a child grows older, they will also observe their peers in romantic relationships.
    • Employee to a manager: This relationship also includes a power dynamic. Regardless, there still needs to be trust, respect, and good communication.

    What do healthy relationships look like?

    Hallmarks of healthy relationships are trust, honesty, compromise, individuality, anger control, good communication, and mutual respect. Talk about these characteristics with your child, and try to model these in all of your relationships.

    The red flags of unhealthy relationships.

    As you teach your child about healthy relationships, it’s just as important to help them recognize the red flags that warn us of unhealthy relationships. These red flags can be present in any type of relationship—so you should be able to talk about them with kids of any age.

    The red flags are:

    • Intensity: expressing extreme feelings that aren’t reciprocated; can feel very overwhelming
    • Manipulation: when the other person tries to control your decisions, actions, and even your emotions
    • Possessiveness: jealousy to the point where they try and control where and how you spend your time
    • Isolation: removing, sometimes, forcibly, from any other relationship including family
    • Sabotage: a purposeful action of ruining your reputation, achievements, or success
    • Belittling: putting you down to make you feel bad about yourself
    • Guilting: making you feel responsible for their feelings and actions or making you feel like it is your job to keep them happy
    • Volatility: constant unpredictable reactions that lead to you feeling scared, confused, or intimidated
    • Deflecting Responsibility: never taking responsibility for their unhealthy behavior
    • Betrayal: disloyalty or being intentionally dishonest

    Today’s Activity:

    Watch the recommended video(s) and have a conversation about the relationships in your child’s life.

    Young kids: DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD | Friends Help Each Other (Song) | PBS KIDS

    Younger school-age kids: Video Lesson – Friendship Soup Recipe: A NED Short

    Older school-age kids: Healthy vs Unhealthy Relationships

    Tweens and teens: What Makes A Relationship Healthy?; What Teens Think About: Healthy Relationships; That’s Not Cool TV

    That’s it for Day 4! See you tomorrow!

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  • Safe & Sound Day 3 – Giving Consent

    Welcome to Day 3 of Safe & Sound!

    Today we’re talking about consent.

    When we say that word, what runs through your mind? What do you think runs through the mind of a child or teen? Adults tend to think of consent only as pertaining to sex and sex education. But consent can be about more than sexual contact.

    Consent is about having control of your body. How you talk about consent with kids will change as they get older. And that’s important to understand: you need to keep talking about consent year after year, so kids understand how it applies to new situations. Frequent talks about consent also help reinforce the message behind it all: your body is your own and you get to decide how others interact with it.

    Modeling and practicing consent.

    At Home

    From the outset, you can be a model of consent by asking your child if you can display physical affection. Ask “May I have a hug?” or “May I have a kiss?” It might feel odd, but you are beginning to teach a critical piece of safety.

    At the Doctor’s and Dentist’s office

    Have a conversation with your child and explain that they have the power of consent even at the doctor’s or dentist’s office. All adults—even doctors and dentists—should always ask permission to touch. Reassure your child that you will be present at all times (until they reach the age where it is appropriate for them to have conversations alone with their doctor). You should also have the practitioner’s office put a note in your child’s chart to make sure to ask for permission to engage with their body. If the doctor or dentist needs to have a discussion about it, they can talk to you and you can explain your rationale.

    With Friends and Family

    It’s not uncommon for parents or caregivers to encourage kids to give physical touch to extended family. For example: “Go give so and so a hug.” It can be hard to draw body boundaries with family, but it’s crucial that you let your child do so. Why? Because otherwise, you’re teaching your child that there are some people they have to interact with in ways that might make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe simply because those people hold a certain position in their life. Reinforce the idea that you do not have to hug someone if you don’t want to. Give kids the power to say no and the freedom to choose other options—like giving a high five, fist bump, or even a wave. Remember: a child’s “no” is just as valid as an adult’s.

     In a Romantic Relationship

    When addressing what consent looks like in a romantic relationship, you will want to discuss what a healthy relationship looks like. Don’t worry—we will be covering that tomorrow in Day 4! Additionally, you want to explain that just because your child is in a romantic relationship doesn’t give either person a free pass to do whatever they want (whenever they want) to the other person’s body. If the relationship is healthy, saying “no” to physical touch—at any point, regardless of what you may have said yesterday, an hour ago, or a second ago—should be enough to make it stop.

    Today’s Activity:

    Young kids: Review the definitions of relevant words, i.e. body, space, touch, stop, etc. When you are playing with your child(ren) and they ask to stop or get down, respond immediately. Then explain that whenever your child asks someone to stop doing something, the other person needs to listen.

    School-age kids: Watch this YouTube video with your kiddo(s). Find teachable moments in TV shows and movies. Ask your child, “How do you think he knew that she wanted him to kiss her?” Be curious. Ask questions like, “What do you think about when you hear the word ‘consent’?” and “Are there areas in your life where consent is important to you?”

    Older youth & teens: Discuss how consent can and should be present in romantic relationships. Ask if your teen recognizes how substances can affect a person’s consent. Go over verbal and non-verbal forms of consent.

    That’s it for Day 3! See you tomorrow!

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  • Safe & Sound Day 2 – Talking About Body Safety

    You’ve probably already had many safety talks with your child—like wearing a bicycle helmet or washing hands after using the restroom. As parents and caregivers, we want our kids to be safe. But sometimes we skip a crucial safety talk because it makes us uncomfortable, or we don’t know much about it, or we just don’t understand how important it is. 

    We’re talking about body safety.

    Even if you’ve talked with your child about their body, it’s important that you have the “whole talk.” Talk with them about body parts, body boundaries, and appropriate touch. The younger a child is, the easier it is to start these conversations, but you can absolutely begin at any age! Kids are never too old to talk about body safety. Teens can definitely benefit from conversations about body boundaries and types of touches. Start talking and keep talking with your teen. As your teen gets older and experiences different types of situations, they’ll know you’re still there and available to talk.

    Here are some guidelines for talking with kids about body safety. Then scroll to the bottom of the page to learn about today’s activity.

    What if something comes up?

    If, during one of your talks, you learn about abuse, keep calm. Then to report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-503-SAFE (7233). The Oregon Child Abuse Hotline receives calls 24 hours a day. 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you think someone is being hurt or is in danger, call 911 immediately.

    Talking body safety with younger kids.

    Talk about body parts. When you normalize the names of private body parts—such as penis, vagina, breasts, and bottom or buttocks—you help reduce any shame or confusion surrounding these parts. You also create an easy “in” to talk about which body parts are considered private and why. Be sure to include the mouth in these discussion—because the mouth can also be considered a private body part.

    Discuss body boundaries. Start with an important boundary: no one should ever touch your private parts nor should they make you touch theirs. Let your child know that they get to decide who touches them. They get to set boundaries with family members and friends. Allow your child to decide whether they want to receive or give a hug. They can easily give a high five, fist bump, or a wave instead. And have them start asking for permission to give hugs to other people. Consent goes both ways.

    Talk about touch. First, know the right way to talk about touch. Terms like “good touch” and “bad touch” can confuse kids, because abuse (specifically sexual abuse) does not necessarily feel bad physically. It’s more clear if you talk about touch as, “comfortable vs. uncomfortable” or “appropriate vs. inappropriate.” Discuss scenarios where certain kinds of touches are OK—like when a doctor is checking to see if your body is healthy.

    Talking body safety with older kids and teens.

    Use media to make it relevant. Older kids and teenagers are connected to media at a whole other level. Use social media, a tv show, or a movie to ask them what they think about different situations involving body safety. Empower them to share their opinions—it shows that you care about what they think and how they approach situations.

    Share your own stories. Sharing a personal experience about body safety can make you feel vulnerable—but sharing your experiences sets a powerful example for your teen. And you also show your teen how relevant you can be to discussions about body safety. You can make these kinds of conversations easier by choosing a place where you feel comfortable to share.

    Connect it to their friends. These kinds of conversations aren’t just for your teen’s benefit—help them understand their friends can be safer as a result. Teach your teen about potential red flags. Talk about how they would handle it if a friend confided in them about abuse. Let your teen know that they never have to carry that burden of disclosure on their own. They can always bring those situations to you and ask for help. Be ready and willing to make a report to help protect your teen’s friend.

    Today’s Activity:

    Young kids (0-4 years old): Have your child point to body parts as you call them out. Use anatomically correct names! Have a conversation about what parts are considered private and why.

    School-age kids (5-10 years old): Ask your child to give examples of safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches. Review names of body parts.

    Tweens and teens (11-17 years old): Pick a movie where issues of body safety come up. (Some suggestions: Sixteen Candles, etc.) Get a movie night on the family calendar. When you do watch the movie together, be ready to talk about safety issues afterwards.

    That’s it for Day 2! See you tomorrow!

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  • Safe & Sound Day 1 – The Very Best Thing You Can Do to Protect Your Child from Abuse

    Welcome!

    Today we’re kicking off Safe & Sound by talking about the one thing that best protects kids against child abuse: COMMUNICATION. And we can already hear you through the screen asking, “How do I do that?” We’ve adapted some strategies—courtesy of Dr. Amy Stoeber—to help parents and caregivers really TALK with kids of any age. So on Day 1, we’re going to take ten minutes and practice the super simple method to safeguard your child and strengthen your bond.

    More ways you can participate in Safe & Sound:

    Share these trainings and join the discussion on social media.

    Day 1: Ten Minute Floor Time

    It’s called Ten Minute Floor Time.

    And it’s as simple as it sounds. It takes ten minutes. You sit on the floor. You give your child your full attention. And then you let your child decide how they want to spend this magic time with you. Ten Minute Floor Time works best when you approach it as an almost-daily practice. It may take several days (or weeks!) before your child adapts to this new routine. And it may be even longer before your child trusts that they can really open up and ask or tell you anything. Good communication doesn’t happen overnight. You need to lay a foundation. And Ten Minute Floor Time will help. So let’s get started! Read through the steps below, and then figure out when you can put Ten Minute Floor Time into action. Start tonight if you can. But if today already has a LOT going on, that’s okay. The important thing is to get familiar with how Ten Minute Floor Time works and figure out where it can fit in your family’s schedule.

    How to Do Ten Minute Floor Time

    1. Find a consistent time (every day or almost every day) during the week where you can take 10 uninterrupted minutes to be with your child. Just do your best, and recognize that some floor time is better than none. Aim for 3-4 times a week.

    2. Pick a space where your child likes to hang out. It could be their room, the family room, or the kitchen table. What’s important is that the space feels comfortable for them. Try and make it the same space each time. For younger kids (10 and under) remove distractions, including phones and other devices. And be sure to switch off your phone so nothing’s distracting you.

    3. Give your child control. Let your child know that for the next ten minutes, they get to guide this time. They can ask you to play a game. They can ask you to read to them. If your child isn’t sure what to do with this time, just sit and just be near them. If you have a tween or teen, you might just be in the room while they read, do school work, or just exist independently. (This will probably be the case the first few times.) They might show you a new social media profile or online game. For every age of child, let them know (without pressuring them) that they can talk to you about ANYTHING, which means they can also ask you ANY question. Nothing’s off limits.

    4. Be honest. If your child does ask a question, be open and honest with your answers. This is how you build trust. If you don’t know an answer to a question, say so. And say you will find the answer together. 5. Keep it pressure-free. Don’t rush an activity. Don’t ask about grades or homework or their social life. If your child would rather play than talk, that’s ok! Play is still a form of communication. Focus on enjoying each other’s company.

    Why floor time works.

    To have a healthy relationship with your child, good communication is essential. And kids find comfort in the routine of an activity like 10 Minute Floor Time. The more comfortable you and your child are talking, especially with “taboo” topics, the stronger your bond will become.

    That’s it for Day 1! See you tomorrow!

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  • Upcoming 2023 Protect Our Children Prevention Trainings

     

    Stewards of Children

    Stewards of Children is an evidence-informed, award-winning two-hour
    training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to
    child sexual abuse. Through interviews with child sexual abuse survivors,
    experts, and treatment providers, Stewards of Children® teaches adults
    practical actions they can take to reduce instances of child sexual abuse
    in their organizations, families, and communities.

     

    During this training you will learn: 

    • How to prevent child sexual abuse

    •Spot the signs of abuse

    •Act responsibility if you suspect abuse

    •Reduce trauma-based behaviors and much more

     

     

    Upcoming Training Date(s): 

    September 2023

    Tuesday, September 12th

    Ashland Family YMCA

    540 YMCA Way, Ashland, OR 97520

    Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM

     

    Wednesday, September 20th

    Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    816 W. 10th St, Medford, OR 97501

    Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM

    Register Here! 

    October 2023

    Tuesday, October 10th

    Ashland Family YMCA

    540 YMCA Way, Ashland, OR 97520

    Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM

     

    Wednesday, October 18th

    Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    816 W. 10th St, Medford, OR 97501

    Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM

    Register Here!

    November 2023

    Tuesday, November 14th

    Ashland Family YMCA

    540 YMCA Way

    Ashland, Oregon 97520

     

    Wednesday, November 15th

    Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    816 W Tenth Street

    Medford, Oregon 97501

    Register Here!

    Trainings will not be held during the month of December 2023, but will resume January 2024. 

    *Trainings will be held in-person

    If you have questions regarding the trainings or would like to request a group training, contact Lacey Elliott at lelliott@cacjc.org or at 541-734-5437

  • 10 ways to keep children safe from abuse this holiday season

     

    By Betsy Lewis, Social Media Contractor for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    The holidays are coming, and families and friends will be gathering together to celebrate.

    Unfortunately, the holiday season is also the time of year when all types of child abuse increase.

    And it is those we know, these very family members and friends, who are the ones most likely to abuse our children.

    Here are some startling facts:

    ·        90% of children are abused by someone they know.

    ·        80% of sexual abuse occurs in one child – one adult situations.

    ·        30% of all child sexual abuse is perpetrated by other youth.

    Put these facts together with the hectic holiday season, where adults and children are thrown together, regular schedules are in flux, parents are often stressed and distracted, and you can see why kids are at greater risk this time of year.

    How can you protect your children? Darkness to Light/Stewards of Children, the curriculum we use in our Protect Our Children Trainings, calls it “Minimize Opportunity”

    Here are suggestions for your holiday season that will minimize the opportunities for abuse:

    1.      Choose group situations and have multiple adults supervise children.

    2.      Scan the physical environment for hidden areas and correct dangers.

    3.      Make sure interactions are observed and interrupted.

    4.      Remember older youth should not be in isolated, one-on-one situations with younger children.

    5.      Talk to kids about body boundaries (immediately, frequently and all year long.) Tell them they do not have to give or receive hugs, kisses, or other affection. Tell them to talk to you if anyone crosses their body boundaries. If your child tells you that he doesn’t want to be around a particular person or participate in a particular outing, take her or him seriously.

    6.      Avoid one child – one adult situations. If you do have to leave your child alone with someone, make it “observable and interruptible.” Let the adult know that you could return at any time, that you and your child are educated about child sexual abuse and that you have taught your child to tell you if there are body boundary violations.

    7.      Have a household open door policy – no interior doors are to be shut.

    8.      Make sure all outings, games and activities are observable by you or others.

    9.      Make any interactions with older children observable by multiple adults.

    10.   Be aware of “roughhousing.” Know that tickling, poking the stomach, patting the butt or knees, rubbing shoulders, can all be part of the grooming process.

    This is a hard truth and can be difficult to hear and accept: You cannot trust anyone 100% and no one is exempt, not even the closest, most beloved family members.

    Additionally, be sure to manage your own stress level and drug and alcohol use so you can be alert and aware. Most importantly, go with your instincts. Pay attention and take the necessary steps to correct any dangers if anything bothers you about someone who spends time with your child.

    The best way to keep the holidays a beautiful and magical experience and memory is to take good care of you and yours. You matter!

     

    Betsy Lewis

     

  • Back to School for ALL the Family

    By Ginny Sagal

    September is here and school has started for many kids and teens in our area.

    For some it will be the first time that you will be leaving your child with another adult. For some it might be a new school, new teachers or new sports coach.

    As your children start the new school year learning and exploring — you as the adult can learn too.

    Learn how to protect your child from sexual abuse.

    Learn the Facts

    1 in 10 children are sexually abused before age 18. Over 90% of them know their abuser.

    Minimize Opportunity

    Decrease the risk of abuse by eliminating or reducing isolated one-on-one situations.

    Talk About It

    Have age appropriate, open conversations about our bodies, sex and boundaries.

    Recognize the Signs

    Signs of abuse aren’t always obvious. They are there, but you have to know what to look for.

    React Responsibly

    How you react matters. Understand how to react to risky behavior, boundary violations, or suspicions, and when to make a report. 

    The Protect our Children Program teaches you all of this!

    Take 2 ½ hours of your time to protect the children in your lives. This is a free training given at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County once a month from 5:30 -8pm. Upcoming trainings at the CACJC are offered September 18th and October 16th. You can sign up here: http://cacjc.org/trainings

     

     

  • Usted podría ser la única esperanza

    Usted podría ser la única esperanza

    By Claudia Cervantes, Bilingual Program Coordinator for the Protect Our Children Project

    Usted podría ser la única esperanza en la vida de un niño.

    Por cada 10 niños hay uno que es abusado antes de cumplir los 18 años, y usted podría ser su única esperanza si toma el tiempo para leer este artículo. Hay muchos niños que callan el abuso por miedo, por vergüenza o porque no entienden que es lo que está pasando. Pero eso puede cambiar si los adultos que rodeamos a los niños estamos entrenados para protegerlos. En el artículo anterior hable de los dos primeros pasos a tomar en la prevención del abuso sexual infantil, en este artículo comparto los últimos tres pasos:

    PASO 3: Hable abiertamente:

    Tenga una conversación abierta con sus hijos sobre sus cuerpos, su sexualidad y los límites.   

    • El ofensor, normalmente trata de confundir a su víctima, el niño, sobre lo que es correcto e incorrecto. Lo hace sentir avergonzado, culpable o le dice que sus padres se van a enojar. Además, Algunos niños son demasiado pequeños para entender.

    Hablar con nuestros hijos sobre su sexualidad y nombrar las partes de su cuerpo por su nombre, enseñarles que su cuerpo es privado y nadie debe de tocarlo de una forma que se sienta incómoda, es todo ello información poderosa para protegerlos y prepararlos para hablar en caso de que algo les pase..

    PASO 4: Reconozca los síntomas:

    Conozca las señales que podrían presentarse en niños abusados.

    • Moretones, sangrados, erupciones, enrojecimientos en la piel, golpes o costras     especialmente en los genitales.   
    • Infecciones urinarias.   
    • Enfermedades de transmisión sexual.
    • Defecación anormal.   
    • Dolor de estómago crónico, dolores de cabeza o otras dolencias que no tienen explicación médica.

    PASO 5: Actúe responsablemente:

    Comprenda cómo responder a los comportamientos riesgosos y sospechas o reporte el abuso.   

    • Hay 3 razones por las que es necesario reaccionar al abuso sexual:   
    • Un niño nos lo confiesa.   
    • Lo descubrimos por nosotros mismos.   
    • Tenemos razones para sospechar.

    No dude en llamar a los servicios locales de salud, si sospecha de abuso. Recuerde que usted puede salvar a un niño.

    Todos los informes de abuso deben hacerse al DHS o a la policía. NO NOS LLAME PARA INFORMAR SOBRE EL ABUSO DE NIÑOS.

    Departamento de Servicios Humanos (DHS)

    Medford DHS:

    727 Medford Center

    Medford, OR 97504-6772

    (541) 858-3197

    (866) 840-2741

    Para preguntas y respuestas sobre denuncias de abuso y negligencia:https://www.oregon.gov/…/CHILDREN/CHILD-ABUSE/Pages/CPS.aspx

    Para un entrenamiento Gratuito, visite: https://cacjc.org/entrenamientos/

     

    Claudia Cervantes

     

  • Finding a Voice: Vince Gill

     

    By Leah Howell, Training Coordinator for the Protect Our Children Project of the Children’s Advocacy Center

    I’m not much of a country music fan, though I lived 30 minutes from Nashville throughout my college years, and for sometime afterward. Even now, 20 years later, I will read about a country musician, that will bring me back to my life there. The Ryman Auditorium always catches my attention.  An old, beautiful, former church-turned performance hall.  I’ll admit, I’ve only stepped into the Ryman one time. If my memory serves, I only got as far as the entryway.  I still have regrets about not going to see some of the great performers that have graced its stage. But recently my attention was caught for a totally different reason. 

    Once again, a famous person broke his silence.

    “You come up here and get to sing one song, and you go, what the hell you gonna sing?” said (Vince) Gill, 60,… “I think that the greatest way to live is to welcome the moment that you’re in and the time frame that you’re in. I chose this song that I wrote some years ago, and never really knew where the song came from, other than… We’re living in a time right now when finally people are having the courage to kind of speak out about being abused. And I think that is beyond healthy, and beyond beautiful, to see people finally have a voice for being wronged. And maybe this song came from a personal experience for me.

    I was in seventh grade, and a young, dumb kid,” he continued. “And I had a gym teacher that acted inappropriately towards me and was trying to do things that I didn’t know what the hell was going on. And I was just fortunate that I got up and I ran. I just jumped up and I ran. I don’t know why. And I don’t think I ever told anybody my whole life. But maybe what’s been going on has given me a little bit of courage to speak out, too. I’m going to sing you this song that was inspired by all the people that are…” He let the thought trail off as he began picking out the introductory licks, but the cultural moment didn’t require much elaboration. (Variety, Feb 9th, 2018)

    It takes a lot of courage to be on stage and share something so traumatic with an auditorium full of people. It causes me to  think about the bravery of so many men and women in Hollywood and beyond who recently came forward, having been violated, intimidated and physically threatened by those in power.  I feel my heart ache to think of all of the young gymnasts who suffered in silence (and some who weren’t silent) in the hands of a “well-respected” physician. I think of all of the women who endured being drugged and raped only to watch a comedian and sitcom actor become rich and famous as a “decent family man.” 

    I think of all the men and women and boys and girls who see these stories, and wish they had the courage to tell. 

    Because of the prevalence of these experiences, we know there are many, many people suffering with corrosive secrets.  Secrets they may be afraid to tell for fear they hear an echo of those words swimming in their head – the words that tell them it was their fault. Blaming is language innocent victims know too well.

    Many of you reading this post have never personally dealt with these issues, and may feel ill-equipped to handle discussions and disclosures with such deeply personal implications.  But I would encourage you to consider changing your approach. Instead of using the usual tactics of shutting down the conversation or avoiding it altogether, take steps to become more comfortable and open. For starters, attend one of our Protect our Children-Stewards of Children training sessions. It will increase your comfort level, give you some tools to use as you participate in discussions, teach you how to respond to disclosures of abuse, and outline what specific actions to take if that disclosure comes from a child.

    We all bear the responsibility to end this violence. Let’s find our voice.

     

    Leah Howell
  • One Thing You Can Do That Matters

    One Thing You Can Do That Matters

    By Ginny Sagal, Communication & Outreach Coordinator for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

    You can’t read a newspaper or turn on a television without hearing about child sexual abuse.

    Do not feel helpless.

    There is one thing you can do that matters in addressing child sexual abuse.  You can take a child abuse prevention training through the Children’s Advocacy Center Protect Our Children Project.  

    When I read and hear these horrible stories, I think how wonderful it would be if all parents and caregivers knew how to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.

    The Protect Our Children training guides you through 5 steps to protecting children from sexual abuse.

    The 5 Steps are:

    1. Learn the Facts: 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before the age of 18. Over 90% of them know their abuser. There is no more of this stranger danger thing. We need to go beyond that.
    2. Minimize the Opportunity: Decrease the risk of abuse by eliminating one on one situations.
    3. Talk About It: Have age appropriate, open conversations about our bodies, sex and boundaries. I think of the gymnast kids who were abused by their doctor or coach that the families had trusted.
    4. Recognize the signs: Why is this person giving gifts to my child? Why is this person always with the kids when he or she should be with the adults when we are at a party?
    5. React Responsibly: How you reacts matters. Go with your gut feeling!

    The Protect Our Children Project uses the Stewards of Children curriculum, developed by Darkness to Light.

    We believe that when adults take the class they recognized that it is all our responsibility to protect children.

    We believe that adults who take the class decrease the risk of the children in their life being sexually abused.

    The fact is that 99% of participants who take the training would recommend this training to a friend, family member or co-worker. (Study done by the University of Oregon Center for Prevention of Abuse and Neglect.)

    The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County has partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to offer this training to anyone in Jackson County for FREE.

    Just think, in 2 to 3 short hours you can decrease the risk that a child in your life will be sexually abused. THAT IS BIG!!!

    Do one thing that Matters for the kids and teens in your life. Take a Protect our Children training.

    To register for a training for yourself or your group, business or organization go to: http://cacjc.org/services/prevention  or call Leah Howell, Protect Our Children Training Coordinator, at 541-734-5437 ext. 1013

    Ginny Sagal