Adults need training in preventing child sex abuse
Teach ways of avoiding risky situations and cases
The number of child sexual abuse cases could be dramatically cut by educating adults on how to prevent it from happening, says Nancy Chandler, ACSW, executive director of the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy in Atlanta.
Also, child sexual abusers could be more swiftly identified if adults are educated on the potential symptoms and on how to recognize suspicious situations, she adds.
Adults need to be trained on how to protect children from sexual abuse, because many incidents could be avoided if awareness were increased.
Currently, one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually assaulted before the age of 18, says Chandler.
"Childhood sexual abuse is not an isolated incident; it is rampant throughout our country and through society. We also know that less than 10% of children that are sexually abused ever tell anyone," she says.
According to national statistics 80,000 confirmed cases of child sexual abuse occur each year. "We know that is only 10% of the cases, so there were probably 800,000 children that were sexually abused last year," says Chandler.
There are many reasons children don't tell someone they are being sexually abused. One reason is that the person involved is trusted by the child, someone in charge of him or her, such as a coach, teacher or relative. "There is a relationship issue, so it is really hard for kids to talk about it," explains Chandler.
To help change the statistics, the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy has in place the Stewards of Children Training, a two-and-a-half hour program for parents, educators, coaches, youth organizers and other adults. It covers seven steps on protecting a child from sexual abuse and appropriately dealing with situations should they occur. There is also a train-the-trainer program that helps increase the amount of people qualified to provide education.
While this program is aimed at reaching people throughout Georgia, many states have similar programs, says Chandler. This program is also offered internationally through an organization based in Charleston, SC, called Darkness to Light. (For more details on this organization see resource section at the end of this article.)
What types of information needs to be covered in a good educational program on the prevention of childhood sexual abuse?
Chandler says that first, adults must have the facts. This helps to raise awareness. Many adults know that it happens but aren't really paying attention. Adults need to pay attention and notice what is going on around them, says Chandler.
The next lesson is to teach adults how to minimize opportunities for sexual abuse by reducing one-on-one adult and child interactions behind closed doors. Chandler says this, of course, does not refer to parents but to other individuals, such as coaches and teachers. For example, if a teacher is tutoring a child, the classroom door should be open.
When youth organizations, churches, and schools create policy and provide training, everyone knows the rules and is more likely to notice when someone is not following them, explains Chandler.
In addition, sexual abuse needs to be openly discussed, because it is so prevalent in society. Often people don't want to bring the topic up when meeting with baseball or soccer coaches and Sunday school teachers, because it sounds like they are suspect, but it must be discussed, says Chandler.
"We need to get the whole nature of childhood sexual abuse into the public forum of communication as with any of the other kinds of things in society that can harm us," says Chandler. Drinking and driving is one example, she says. As public awareness was raised it became less socially acceptable to drink and drive, and the designated driver program was embraced.
Recognizing possible signs
Because sexual abuse cannot always be prevented, it is important for adults to learn how to recognize the signs. Unlike physical abuse, it is invisible to the eye, says Chandler.
One way to identify it is to look for a dramatic change in a child's behavior or take note of times when a child does not want to be with another adult. For example, an active, friendly child might suddenly become withdrawn.
Adults should also act on their suspicions, says Chandler. For example, sometimes a wife may notice her husband coming out of their daughter's room at an inappropriate time. If this should happen it needs to be addressed, not ignored, says Chandler.
Another strategy to make sure sexual abuse is swiftly identified if it should occur is to talk openly with children. "I use the bathing suit strategy. I tell the child 'If anyone ever touches you in a place covered by your bathing suit that makes you feel uncomfortable come tell me,' that is as simple as don't touch the hot stove or look both ways before crossing the street," says Chandler.
She adds that making the topic matter of fact from the time a child can communicate is a good strategy.
Another area of education that is important to cover when teaching on sexual abuse is information on what to do if it should occur.
Chandler says parents or guardians of children need to have a plan for dealing with a day their child tells them someone touched them inappropriately. If a child falls and needs stitches, the parent would know how to react but many do not know what to do when they learn their child has been sexually abused.
For example, if an incident happens it is not appropriate for the parent to do a full interview with the child, but a call to child protective services or the police department needs to be made, says Chandler. The action taken all depends on the information the child gives. Sometimes a trip to a physician is appropriate.
Parents must also learn in advance how to react to such information.
"A child's first disclosure may be very minimal, and there may be a whole lot more going on, so it is important not to minimize what the child is saying and also not to overreact," says Chandler.
If a child has been sexually abused, it is a good idea to take him or her to a professional counselor to determine what impact the incident had on them and address the issues accordingly. A child who has been fondled could be deeply traumatized if the offender was a favorite uncle or grandfather, says Chandler.
"If a child understands it is not their fault and he or she didn't do anything to bring it along, a long counseling session may not be necessary," says Chandler.
Parents and guardians must be very diligent in protecting their children. It is important to investigate day care centers thoroughly before enrolling a child and making sure that parents are welcome at all times. Also children should not participate in sports leagues unless coaches and trainers undergo background checks. All employees at schools and day care centers should undergo this same scrutiny.
"It is tough being a parent today, because there are so many demands on their time and their children's time, but they need to have some basics to begin with on how to keep their kids safe," says Chandler.
A young man who participated in the Stewards of Children education program was showering at the YMCA after working out one morning when he heard a discussion in the next shower stall between a young boy and an older man that he felt was not appropriate. Therefore, he discussed it with the child's mother upon leaving the locker room. As a result a child molester was stopped.
"We all have to be very vigilant and pay attention to what is going on with the kids. That is the only way we can finally root this problem out," says Chandler.
SOURCES
For more information, contact the following organizations:
- Nancy Chandler, ACSW, executive director, Georgia Center for Child Advocacy, 818 Pollard Blvd., Suite 301, Atlanta, GA 30315. Telephone: (678) 904-2880. Web site: www.georgiacenterforchildren.org.
- Darkness to Light, 7 Radcliffe St., Suite 200, Charleston, SC 29403. Telephone: (843) 965-5444. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.darkness2light.org.
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