Transcript Slide 1

Awareness to Action:
What Adults Can Do to
Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
April 20, 2011
www.StopItNow.org
Sarita Hudson
Yvonne Cournoyer
Director of Public Engagement
[email protected]
Program Director
[email protected]
© 2011
Agenda
• Stop It Now!'s resources for prevention
• Research on what US adults think about
child sexual abuse and what it means for
taking action
• Practical steps you can take to prevent
abuse before a child is harmed
Dial In for Audio
Toll-free: 866.740.1260
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Access Code: 5873500
ReadyTalk support: 800-843-9166
© 2011
Poll-What would you rather do than
talk about child sexual abuse?
• Clean the bathroom
• Run 5 miles
• Stand in line at a government office (DMV, IRS, Social
Security)
• Call/wait for customer service for computer, cellphone,
etc
• Start a diet
• Pay your bills
• Organize files
© 2011
Results
What would you rather do than talk about
child sexual abuse?
Organize files
Clean the bathroom
Run 5 miles
Pay your bills
Clean up after a pet
Start a diet
Call/wait for customer service
Stand in a long line
0%
10%
© 2011
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Collaboration
Child
Protection
Criminal Justice
Media
Victim advocacy
Public Health
Businesses
Schools
Faith Communities
Others?
Can you
name others?
© 2011
Today’s Participants
•
•
•
•
Parents
Child Welfare
Child Advocacy Center
Rape Crisis/Sexual
Assault Recovery
• Health care providers
• Domestic Violence
• Child Care Provider
• Child Abuse or Sexual
Violence Prevention
• Therapists
• Family Support
• Crisis Intervention
• Law enforcement
• Sales
© 2011
Adults Are Accountable
Children Have a
Right to Safety
and Well-being
Adults
Protecting
Children
© 2011
Prevention is Possible
• “Let’s join together to create an
environment where adults take action to
prevent sexual abuse before a child is
harmed.”
© 2011
What Does Adult Responsibility
Look Like?
Your questions…
• Why don’t kids tell?
• Why do adults allow the burden to be
placed on the children?
• How much emphasis should be on kids
protecting themselves versus parents
keeping their kids safe?
© 2011
Adults have to be prepared
first…
Now! Approach
• Public Health/Root causes
• Adults protecting children-focus adult and
community responsibility
• Inclusive/Accountability and
Understanding
• Hope
• Research-based
• Avoid use of labels if possible
© 2011
Stop It Now! Impact
• Pioneering adult responsibility
• Collaboration with the CDC/national
public health agency—see this as a
preventable public health problem
• Collaboration with National Sex
Offender Registry to offer prevention
information
• Community-based pilot programs
• Market research data adult attitudes,
opinions & behaviors about child
sexual abuse
© 2011
Programs
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•
•
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Prevention Education and Advocacy
Help Services
Training and Technical Assistance
Policy and Advocacy
Research and Evaluation
© 2011
International Collaborations
Princess Olufemi-Kayode,
President/CEO,
Media Concern Initiative
for Women and Children
© 2011
What do US Adults Think about
Child Sexual Abuse:
Measures of Knowledge and Attitudes
Among Six States
© 2011
Prevalence of Child Sexual
Abuse Survivorship
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Knowledge of Who
Sexually Abuses Children
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Hypothetical Situation of
Child Sexual Abuse
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Actual Situations
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Views on Treatment for
Child Sexual Offending
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Key Interpretations
1. Disconnect between informed awareness of
the issue & recognition of risk in daily life.
2. Majority are aware, knowledgeable & concerned about the
issue.
3. Higher percentage of adults who have
experienced childhood sexual abuse are
aware & knowledgeable.
4. Majority support treatment for those who
have offended.
5. Majority support sex offender policies like
residency restrictions and sex offender registry.
6. Prevalence rates consistent with other research.
© 2011
Your questions…
• How can we get
people to listen? So
often, people shut me
out as soon as I
mention childhood
sexual abuse.
© 2011
Spectrum of Prevention
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Prevent
abuse before
a child is
harmed
Act on
concerning
behaviors or
situations
Prevent
re-occurrence
of abuse
© 2011
Cycle of Prevention
Recognizing
risky
situations
and taking
action
Modeling
positive
behaviors
Reporting
abuse and
getting help
for all
© 2011
Your questions…GREEN
• What are some protective behaviors I can
take?
© 2011
• Don’t wait
Talking to our kids - Sometimes we just need a
little push to get us started.
Poll: Parents, what keeps you from
talking to your kids?
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•
•
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•
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Not knowing what to say
Fear they’ll grow up too soon
Fear of what I’ll hear
Fear of questions I can’t answer
Embarrassment
Don’t want to scare children
© 2011
Results
Parents, what keeps you from talking to your
kids about safety from sexual abuse?
Don't want to scare children
Not knowing what to say
Fear they'll grow up too soon
Fear of questions I can't answer
Embarrassment
Fear of what I'll hear
0%
10%
© 2011
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Your questions…GREEN
• How can we impart this education without
scaring the adults or children?
• How do I keep my 3yr old safe and teach
her without creating fear.
• How can we make sure that children feel
safe to speak?
© 2011
© 2009
Poll: what might keep you from speaking
up about inappropriate behaviors
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Fear of family break-up
Community pressure
Fear of violence
Fear of involving authorities
Belief that things will sort out
Inability to face it/disbelief
Fear of loss of financial security
Stigma/shame
Afraid person will retaliate
© 2011
Results
What might keep you from talking with
someone whose behavior towards children
concerns you?
Afraid person will retaliate
Fear of violence
Fear of family break-up
Inability to face it/disbelief
Stigma/shame
Fear of involving authorities
Fear of loss of financial security
Belief that things will sort out
Community pressure
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
© 2011
Your questions…YELLOW
• What are the signs of sexual abuse in
young children?
• As a parent, I am keen to know the signs
should a child be sexually abused,
especially when being abused by a close
family member such as a father,
grandfather or uncle.
© 2011
© 2009
© 2009
Warning Signs in Adults or
Adolescents at Risk
• Makes others uncomfortable by violating
boundaries and rules
• Makes excuses for harmful behavior
• Inability to recognize what is appropriate
in relationships with children
• Encourages secrecy
• Sexual interest is directed towards
children
© 2011
Your questions…YELLOW
• I can't describe [situation where
concerned about inappropriate behaviors].
In my view, abusers create a curtain of
smoke around them: you are really
flabbergasted when a child speaks out and
you know the abuser, because you never
ever had seen or suspected anything.
© 2011
Why We Don’t Suspect
• Private behavior can be very different than
public behavior
• Socially skilled
• Our own stereotypes
• What if we allow ourselves to “consider
the possibility”
© 2007
Fears that stop us…
• What if I’m wrong?
• Angry response from individual, family
community
• Loss of relationship
• Children will be impacted
• What if I’m right?
© 2007
Your questions…YELLOW
• How do we have conversations (literally,
what to say) with people (youth and
adults) who we believe may be at risk for
causing harm?
• What are specific actions that adults can
take when they witness inappropriate
behavior in other adults?
© 2011
Let’s Talk
“Conversations do not have to be
confrontations. It is too easy to lash out in
fear or anger, especially if you are afraid of
what you might hear. Planning how you
want to talk may be as important as what
you will say.”
Advice from a counselor
© 2011
Let’s Talk
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Prepare
Find an ally
Practice
Speak up early
Use “I” statements
Describe—don’t label
Just start
© 2011
Let’s Talk-Individuals
• Share your feelings
– “I feel uncomfortable bringing this up.”
• Describe the behavior
– “I notice you tickling Jamal even after he says
stop”
• Share your reaction
– “I want you to respect Jamal’s no and stop.”
• Set boundaries
– “If you can’t stop when he says no, don’t start.”
© 2007
Let’s Talk-Organizations
• Describe the behavior
– “Yesterday your door was closed when you were
meeting the Maria.”
• Share your reaction
– “It is our policy that you keep your door open
when meeting with children.”
• Set boundaries
– “I realize it can be noisy, but you still need to
keep your door open when meeting with
children.”
© 2007
Talk & Act
• Monitor the situation
• Engage others to help monitor
© 2007
Speaking up…YELLOW
• I have witnessed an adult joking and
asking questions of my teenage daughters
that were sexual in nature.
• I interrupted and stated that I didn't feel it
was appropriate. The conversation
stopped.
© 2011
Speaking up… YELLOW
• My two boys (5 and 8 years old) being
very physical--lying on top of each other-that makes me feel uncomfortable. Am I
over-reacting to separate them as soon as
I see?
• My husband knows I'm overly concerned
so I tend to over-react. I've worked with
many a person who's under-reacted and I
don't want to do that.
© 2011
Context of Sexual Behaviors
• Differences in power
– e.g., age, size, physical or
mental abilities
• Intimidation
– e.g., status or misuse of
authority
• Manipulation
– e.g., games, tricks, bribes,
verbal persuasion
• Coercion
– e.g., threats, physical force,
weapons
• Secrecy
– e.g., covering up, demanding
silence
• Obsessive-ness
– e.g., preoccupation with sexual
thoughts
• Compulsiveness
– e.g., repetitive, lack of control
(Adapted from Burton, Rasmussen, et al., 1998)
© 2011
Your questions…RED
• What can I do as a parent to help my
children heal from their abuse and to
prevent them both from abusing in the
future.
• Are there effective programs established,
that help the non-abusive parent learn
better ways of keeping their child safe
from further sexual abuse?
© 2011
Your questions…RED
• What success rate is there in the
rehabilitating of child molesters? what is
the best technique/style of counseling?
© 2011
Training for professionals
www.StopItNow.org/resources
• Training on working with children who have been abused:
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National Children’s Advocacy Center, http://www.nationalcac.org/
National Child Protection Training Center, http://www.ncptc.org/
Child Welfare League of America, http://www.cwla.org/
National Children’s Alliance, http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/
• Training on working with youth with sexual behavior problems:
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NEARI, http://neari.com/
Kempe Center, http://www.kempe.org/
• Training on working with adults with sexual interest in children
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Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, http://atsa.com/
Child Molestation Research & Prevention Institute,
http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/
© 2011
Speaking up…RED
• a child discloses information during a
school presentation that seems
suspect/inappropriate
• notify the principal and make sure it is
followed through
© 2011
A Role for Everyone
Societal:
Encourage
policies that
require
training on
child sexual
abuse
prevention
in addition
to criminal
background
checks.
Societal
Community
Community:
Sponsor a workshop
or Community
Dialogue for your
community.
Relationship
Individual
Relationship:
Learn how to talk
to someone whose
behavior around
children concerns
you.
© 2011
Individual:
Educate
yourself
about
warning
signs.
Your questions…COMMUNITY
• How can I train/inform mentors/parents/child
care providers in prevention?
• How can I educate the community on this issue?
• Since I don't have kids, and neither do most of
my friends, how can I make a difference for
other children in my community
© 2011
Speaking up… COMMUNITY
• Creating awareness among school nurses
on the value of sexual health educational
programs for school students and about
the integration of a new role for them, in
this area…
© 2011
Speaking up…COMMUNITY
• Respected leader accused of abuse but case
went nowhere
• Started awareness activities on sexual abuse
though youth in the community, building on the
existed resources and traditional practices.
• Could only mobilize the youth as they are very
motivated but other actors in the community
seem not interested in this issue/ prevention
© 2011
Prevention Education
www.StopItNow.org
© 2011
HELP SERVICES
Helpline
1.888.Prevent
Help
Emails
Online Help
Center
© 2011
Ask Now!
Online Advice
Column
Poll-How will you use what you’ve
learned today?
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Talk to your child(ren)
Talk to your spouse
Talk to a friend
Talk to a colleague
Talk to a client
Blog or tweet about what you’ve learned
Download a tip sheet and share it
© 2011
Results
How will you use what you've learned today?
Download a tip sheet and share it
Talk to a colleague
Talk to a friend
Talk to a client
Talk to your spouse
Talk to your child(ren)
Blog/tweet about it
0%
20%
© 2011
40%
60%
80%
100%
Thank you
Contact: Yvonne Cournoyer
Sarita Hudson
[email protected]
[email protected]
© 2011