Child Sexual Abuse Prevention/Education

July 1, 2018 Senate Bill 355 went into effect, requiring the Indiana Board of Education to assist schools with providing age appropriate, research and evidence based child sexual abuse education for grades K-12. Wow! In the age of #MeToo and the Larry Nassar case about child sexual abuse by this U.S.A. Gymnastics team doctor, you would think that Bill 355 is the appropriate response. The truth...this has been a long time coming. Many organizations have been tirelessly working towards this change. 

The National Sexual Violence Center explains it this way:

"As long as there have been people who care about making the world a better place, there have been individuals advocating for sexual assault prevention. In the United States, movements for social change and equality began to gain traction in the 1940s and 50s with the civil rights era. Although open discussion of the realities of sexual assault and domestic violence were limited at these times, activists for equal rights began to challenge the status quo."

"Efforts during this time were championed by Black women and women of color. Advocates like Rosa Parks worked at the intersections of race-based and gender-based violence (a framework that years later in 1989, advocate and professor Kimberlé Crenshaw would call “intersectionality”)."

"Wide social activism around the issue of sexual assault continued into the 1970s, bringing with it support for survivors and heightened awareness. The first rape crisis center was founded in San Francisco in 1971, the same city where the first U.S. Take Back the Night event was held seven years later."

"The following decades mobilized survivors and advocates to call for legislation and funding that would support survivors, such as the Violence Against Women Act of 1993 (VAWA). Monumental changes like VAWA demonstrated that national efforts promoting sexual violence prevention were needed. Even before SAAM was first nationally observed in 2001, advocates had been holding events, marches, and observances related to sexual violence during the month of April, sometimes during a week-long “Sexual Assault Awareness Week.”   

Why offer these types of presentations in the school? Schools are a natural forum for teaching personal safety education. It's where students gather among caring adults who are also mandatory reporters. The statistics reveal that this is a problem that needs immediate attention. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually exploited by the time they graduate from high school. The good news is that many of these crimes are preventable with increased awareness and knowledge of sexual offender behaviors.

The National Movement for America's Children describe "The Movement as a fast-growing grassroots initiative of organizations and people from coast to coast, who are collaborating to develop a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that all of our children are given an opportunity to develop - socially, emotionally and cognitively - in healthy, nurturing homes, schools, neighborhoods and communities."

National Child Abuse Prevention Month, also known as Child Abuse Prevention Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States dedicated to raising awareness and preventing child abuse. April has been the designated month since 1983.

There are many ways to be an advocate for children and for victims of sexual violence. Fair Haven is Lake County Indiana's Rape Crisis Center. We want to help survivors find their voice and help children to find their voice and understand that they have rights protected by the law. Partnering with Child Lures Prevention, a  leading organization in providing safe education for over 33 years that is research and evidence based, Fair Haven has presented theThink First & Stay Safe program for grades K-6 and Teen Lures for grades 7-12. During this 2018-2019 school year, our education team will have presented to almost 34,000 students and staff.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. At Fair Haven, we want to serve our community and take a step towards change and erradicating sexual violence in the community. We host an annual Walk in the Park to engage our community in this mission. Partnerships with other organizations, businesses or individuals helps to ensure we can continue to provide excellent services and continue to build capacity to reach as many people as we can. Please join us in these efforts.

Links:

• National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• National Movement for America's Children
• Senate Bill 355