Laura Kelemen
Sexual abuse is a major problem in the United States and in our community.
|
Laura Kelemen |
Nationally, one in four girls and one
in six boys will be sexually abused
before their 18th birthday. In Niagara
County, the Child Advocacy Center of
Niagara sees almost 300 cases of suspected sexual abuse each year.
While these statistics are staggering, the child sexual abuse epidemic is often hidden behind closed
doors. We can better protect our children by gaining and spreading
awareness, learning the warning
signs and reporting suspicions of
child abuse.
One way the Child Advocacy
Center of Niagara does this is by
working with Darkness to Light, a
not-for-profit organization dedicated
to reducing the incidence of child sexual abuse through public awareness
and education.
Darkness to Light is the developer of Stewards of Children, an interactive, evidence-based sexual abuse-
prevention training program led by
specially trained Child Advocacy
Center staff members. The course
also is available online at
www.d2l.org.
Stewards of Children is appropriate for parents, caregivers and
youth-serving organizations such as
sports leagues, daycare centers,
after-school programs, children’s
clubs and church groups. Adults
who take the training will learn how
sexual abuse affects children, families and our community. Most
importantly, participants will leave
with simple, proactive strategies for
protecting children from sexual
abuse.
As adults, it is our responsibility
to protect the children in our community from sexual abuse so they
can grow up to lead healthy productive lives.
If you call us in May to schedule
Stewards of Children training, we
will provide the program free of
charge.
The Child Advocacy Center of
Niagara, a service of Niagara Falls
Memorial Medical Center, is a countywide resource providing a safe and
child-friendly place for the investigation of child abuse allegations. We
work with a multidisciplinary team of
law enforcement, social services,
prosecution, and medical and mental
health personnel to investigate allegations of child abuse, prosecute offenders, help victims heal, and work to
prevent further abuse.
For more information about how
to prevent child sexual abuse in our
community, or to schedule a free
Stewards of Children training for your
organization please e-mail
Emily.Foschio@nfmmc.org or phone
us at (716) 285-0045.
(Laura Kelemen, LCSW-R, is executive director of the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara.)
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | May 1 2012 |