child sexual abuse

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers 

renee@centerforchildcounseling.org , ,

FREE Online, On-Demand Workshop

Child Sexual Abuse is a topic that is difficult to discuss as it may be emotional, uncomfortable, and overwhelming to wrap one’s head around.

However, it is crucial as caregivers to learn what child sexual abuse is in order to be aware of possible warning signs and risk factors. Understanding this also allows us to find ways to prevent and protect children from it as well as buffer them from the potentially traumatic impact that it can have.  

In this free, 45-minute workshop, you will learn the definition of child sexual abuse, the facts about it, ways to prevent it, some possible signs that a child may be experiencing sexual abuse as well as techniques to provide support and buffer the impact of that trauma for children.  

Workshop Objectives:

  • Broaden one’s understanding of what constitutes child sexual abuse 
  • Understand the prevalence, risk factors and warning signs of sexual abuse 
  • Learn easy-to-implement tips and techniques to prevent child sexual abuse  
  • Learn helpful ways to respond when sexual abuse is suspected or confirmed
  • Receive information regarding local and nationwide crisis resources and supports  

Register Now

Speak Up and Demand Schools Play a Role in Sexual Abuse Prevention

renee@centerforchildcounseling.org Blog, Fighting ACEs PBC, KidSafe, Latest News , , , ,

By Renée Layman, LMHC, President and CEO

Sexual Abuse: A Public Health Crisis

The statistics are alarming. Every nine minutes, a child is a victim of sexual abuse and assault (rainn.org). It is astounding that our home state of Florida ranks third in the nation in calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline. 70 to 90 percent of commercially exploited youth have a history of child sexual abuse.

We hear about it far too often–family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, pastors, priests, political, and business leaders are charged with sexual assault. Awareness of these offenders and those victims being grotesquely violated and trafficked is not enough: the abuse needs to be stopped before it happens and our schools must play a role in this prevention.

One in four girls and one in thirteen boys will report they were sexually abused by the age of 18. Sexual abuse and human trafficking can have long-lasting physical and emotional effects, including: depression, eating disorders, self-blame, self-destructive behaviors, intergenerational cyclical abuse, learning disabilities, and drug abuse.

The Numbers

A Public Health Crisis Demands a Public Health Approach

As devastating as this public health crisis is, sexual abuse and these long-term effects can be prevented through education. 28 states, including Florida, and D.C. have passed legislation mandating instruction within schools on child sexual abuse awareness and prevention, as of January 2023. Unfortunately, 14 states have no laws in place. Every educator and every student across the United States should be equipped with the knowledge needed to prevent child sexual abuse. It is necessary to implement a public health approach to make a seismic difference in stopping abuse and human trafficking in its tracks.

Such an approach includes creating a system of awareness, education, prevention, support, and treatment in communities. Like the public health approach model used for wearing seat belts to prevent injury and death, we must change the societal behavior and norms around sexual abuse in order to alter society for the better. The long-term health and safety benefits of increasing trauma-aware adults has a direct correlation to decreasing all types of child abuse–sexual along with physical, emotional, and neglect. In turn, this can lead to higher educational achievement, less involvement with the criminal justice system, and better physical health and social outcomes overall.

Educational institutions play a critical role in reaching our students and teachers and beyond to our parents, families, and communities. We must use our schools as the grounds for preventing sexual abuse and breeding positive childhood experiences and positive community experiences.

Intervention and prevention must start in early childhood and continue through elementary, middle, and high school. The comprehensive public health approach to addressing child sexual abuse within schools includes: trauma-informed training and education for our teachers, parents and adult caregivers; quality health education for our students and teachers, inclusive of sexual abuse awareness and prevention; connecting students to mental healthcare professionals for treatment, either within or outside the school walls; increasing the capacity for students to access mental health services; and creating environments where students feel connected and supported.

As the CEO of Center for Child Counseling, a nonprofit that supports schools, teachers, students, and caregivers, we embrace this public health model and want to ensure every student across the United States is protected and safe from abuse. We recently launched bekidsafe.org–a platform for educators and other child-facing professionals to easily access online training programs and workshops to learn how to keep children safe through effective strategies that prevent abuse, build safety and communication skills, promote positive relationships and resilience, and identify risk early.

Rely on a research-based program like Stay KidSafe!™, which is approved by the School District of Palm Beach County, or look to your local community to determine if there are groups you can partner with, to teach your students safety tools and skills to empower them to make safe and smart choices in all areas so they can grow up to be healthy, powerful adults.

The overall health, wellness, and protection of children in today’s challenging times should not be left to families to struggle in isolation. Feeling safe and protected is vital to a child’s development.

Whether you’re a fellow community leader, educator, parent, or adult interacting with children in any capacity, join me in changing the trajectory of this public health crisis. Find out what the schools in your community are doing to support the health and protection of their students. Encourage your teachers and school leaders to seek the proper training and provide the necessary resources to promote healthier families, schools, and communities where every child is safe from abuse.

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beKidSafe.org Teaches Teachers How to Keep Kids Safe

Cara Hansen Latest News, News Releases , , , , , , ,

September 28, 2023
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com 

beKidSafe.org Teaches Teachers How to Keep Kids Safe
Center for Child Counseling launches an online platform to ensure children grow up safe from abuse.

28 states, including Florida, and D.C. have passed legislation mandating instruction within schools on child sexual abuse awareness and prevention, as of January 2023. Unfortunately, 14 states have no laws in place. Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) wants to ensure every student throughout Florida, and across the United States, is protected and safe from abuse. To attain this goal, the Palm Beach Gardens-based agency recently launched beKidSafe.org–an online platform with prevention education for all adults who work with children. 

Every nine minutes, a child is a victim of sexual abuse and assault (rainn.org). Florida ranks third in the nation in calls to the National Human Trafficking hotline. It is reported far too often—teachers, coaches, pastors, priests, family members, friends, neighbors, political and business leaders charged with sexual assault. One in four girls and one in thirteen boys will report they were sexually abused by the age of 18. 70 to 90 percent of commercially exploited youth have a history of child sexual abuse. Awareness of these offenders and those victims being grotesquely violated and trafficked is not enough: the abuse needs to be stopped before it happens!

beKidSafe.org is a platform for educators, camp staff, and other child-facing professionals to easily access online training programs, like Stay KidSafe!™ and CampSafe®, and workshops to learn how to keep children safe through effective strategies that prevent abuse, build safety and communication skills, promote positive relationships and resilience, and identify risk early.

Stay KidSafe!™ is an online training designed to provide educators and students with the awareness and knowledge needed to prevent child sexual abuse. Since 2009, the Stay KidSafe!™ program has empowered more than 60,000 children with personal safety education and has taught more than 50,000 parents, guardians, teachers, and child-serving professionals how to keep kids safe. In addition to protecting children from sexual abuse, KidSafe teaches children safety tools and skills that help them make safe and smart choices in all areas as they become healthy, powerful adults.

CampSafe®  ultimately serves the same purpose as Stay KidSafe!™ but is training for camp leadership and staff. For summer 2023, more than 7,000 camp staff across 75 camps participated in the CampSafe® training program, protecting more than 37,000 campers from child sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse and human trafficking can have long-lasting physical and emotional effects, including: depression, eating disorders, self-blame, self-destructive behaviors, intergenerational cyclical abuse, learning disabilities, drug abuse. 

“As devastating as this public health crisis is, sexual abuse and these long-term effects can be prevented through education. We created beKidSafe.org to make it easy for ALL adults to become trauma-aware and recognize and stop childhood trauma and abuse in its tracks.” stated Renée Layman, CEO for Center for Child Counseling.

The training programs and workshops offered on beKidSafe.org were developed by professionals with expertise in sexual abuse prevention and training. Center for Child Counseling partnered with experts in learning and development, using the most up-to-date elearn method utilizes engaging, child-friendly content, including professionally animated videos and age-appropriate safety skills and lessons. 

Stay KidSafe!™ is available at no cost to child-serving organizations and schools in Palm Beach County, FL, and reduced cost to other schools and districts throughout the state and country thanks to financial support from partner organizations, such as: Impact the Palm Beaches, the Morgridge Family Foundation, Boca Regional Hospital, Boca West Children’s Foundation, The Batchelor Foundation, First Horizon Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation, and Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. 

For teachers, schools, districts, and parents interested in learning more about how to be proactive in preventing and responding to child sexual abuse, visit bekidsafe.org or email info@centerforchildcounseling.org to learn more. 

Layman emphasized, “Education is the key to prevention–we must empower our schools, homes, and communities with the tools to teach children and adults how to keep kids safe. It’s time we move beyond awareness and take action to stop sexual abuse before it happens so kids can grow up to be healthy, powerful adults!”

Click here to view the news release.

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Morgridge Family Safeguards Children with Support to Center for Child Counseling

Cara Hansen Latest News, News Releases , , , , , ,

NEWS RELEASE

July 3, 2023
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com

Morgridge Family Safeguards Children with Support to Center for Child Counseling $39,000 grant expands Stay KidSafe!™ program to prevent child sexual abuse.

[Palm Beach Gardens, FL]–The Center for Child Counseling has been awarded a generous grant of $39,600 from the Morgridge Family Foundation. This significant contribution will empower the Center to expand its Stay KidSafe!™ program, aimed at preventing child sexual abuse and trafficking by providing robust education and awareness.

The Center for Child Counseling specializes in offering expert care and support to children who have experienced unspeakable and heartbreaking trauma, such as sexual abuse, violence, human trafficking, and exploitation. Tragically, many of these incidents could be prevented with increased awareness and understanding of the warning signs. Stay KidSafe!™ seeks to address this critical need through online training designed to provide students and educators with the awareness and knowledge needed to prevent child sexual abuse. The curriculum, developed by a team of sexual abuse prevention experts with decades of experience, utilizes engaging, child-friendly content, including professionally animated videos and age-appropriate safety skills and lessons.

Recently, Impact the Palm Beaches awarded a grant for the Center to provide Palm Beach County schools and childcare centers with Stay KidSafe–impacting more than 7,000 children and more than 4,000 adults in the county. The Morgridge Family Foundation’s grant supports the implementation of this curriculum with toolkits for schools, caregivers, and child-serving organizations. The branded toolkits include books, posters, visual aids, and awareness materials that empower adults to become active participants in preventing and stopping sexual predators and human traffickers.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child is safe and protected. The Center for Child Counseling’s impactful Stay KidSafe!™ program plays a critical role in safeguarding the most vulnerable children,” said Carrie Morgridge, co-founder of the Morgridge Family Foundation. “We are proud to provide additional resources to further strengthen the Center’s programs and expand its impact. Together, we will pave the way for a brighter, safer future.”

The outreach initiative and educational materials aim to create a culture of safety and awareness for families and schools, protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. This grant support, coupled with the Center’s strong community partnerships, further amplifies the impact of the Stay KidSafe!™ program, ensuring that the education and resources are readily available to all child serving organizations and schools at no cost.

“We are immensely grateful for the Morgridge Family Foundation’s generous grant,” said Renée Layman, CEO of the Center for Child Counseling. “This funding will allow us to enhance the efficacy and reach of Stay KidSafe!™, making a significant impact in ensuring every child grows up feeling safe. Together, we are working to create a society where every child is protected from harm and can thrive.”

For more information about the Center for Child Counseling and their programs, please visit www.centerforchildcounseling.org.

About Center for Child Counseling:

Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

 

About Morgridge Family Foundation:

The Morgridge Family Foundation (MFF) invests in leaders and organizations that are reimagining solutions to some of today’s biggest challenges. The problems of the 21st century can’t be compartmentalized. Neither can MFF’s work. By bringing different sectors to the table, the foundation creates meaningful connections that foster innovation as a vehicle for systematic change. MFF offers vision, community, and resources to support a network of partners achieving their profound impact. Morgridgefamilyfoundation.org

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Impact the Palm Beaches awards $100,000 to Prevent and Heal Child Sexual Abuse

Cara Hansen Fighting ACEs PBC, Latest News, News Releases , , , , ,

NEWS RELEASE
May 2, 2023
For immediate release
Media contact: Cara Scarola Hansen
Center for Child Counseling Public Relations Counsel
cara@yourmissionmarketing.com 

Center for Child Counseling Receives Grant to Prevent and Heal Child Sexual Abuse
Impact the Palm Beaches awards $100,000

(Palm Beach Gardens, FL)–Impact the Palm Beaches recently awarded a $100,000 grant to Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) for keeping kids safe by preventing and healing child sexual abuse. 

Child sexual abuse is a leading health concern facing children today. About one in 10 children will be sexually abused before they turn 18. Of those children who are sexually abused, 90% are abused by someone they know and trust. 

To tackle this crisis, in October of 2022, Center for Child Counseling officially merged with KidSafe Foundation–an organization with more than 13 years of expertise in education of sexual abuse. As a program now under the CFCC umbrella, KidSafe is expanding to provide more education to prevent child sexual abuse. 

With the support of the Impact grant, Center for Child Counseling will provide 14 Palm Beach County schools with Stay KidSafe©–an age-appropriate curriculum that simplifies the sensitive topic of child sexual abuse and trafficking prevention with a fun, interactive program that teaches children protective skills from a place of empowerment, not fear. The program will give children concrete tools and skills to stay safe. Children will  learn to recognize their feelings, go to their “safe adults,” and speak assertively when they feel uncomfortable. The training will extend to parents, guardians, and teachers–making them better vanguards of safety for children. Adults will learn how to: communicate safety awareness and provide skills to children; build their capacity to spot the signs of sexual abuse; and have open conversations about safety. This program implementation will impact over 7,000 children and over 4,000 adults in the county.

“Thanks to this Impact award, we are tackling the public health crisis of child sexual abuse in Palm Beach County with prevention and early intervention, because every child deserves to grow up feeling safe. We believe that every child must have the KidSafe program. Our dream is big but Impact the Palm Beaches is helping us take a major step to make it a reality,” stated Renée Layman, CEO of CFCC.

The KidSafe program is also available to the more than 7,500 children served annually through CFCC’s clinical programs. Furthermore, it will be integrated into CFCC’s Childcare and Community Social-Emotional Wellness Program–funded by Impact the Palm Beaches in 2019–which is provided onsite in 30 partner childcare centers and elementary schools. Through a collaborative agreement with the School District of Palm Beach County, the curriculum will be available to every elementary school in Palm Beach County at no charge. 

For more information on Center for Child Counseling’s KidSafe program, visit www.centerforchildcounseling.org/kidsafe.  

About Center for Child Counseling:

Center for Child Counseling has been building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County since 1999. Its services focus on preventing and healing the effects of adverse experiences and toxic stress on children, promoting resiliency and healthy family, school, and community relationships. As of October 2022, KidSafe now operates under Center for Child Counseling as the two entities are now stronger together in their education and prevention of child sexual abuse and childhood trauma. www.centerforchildcounseling.org Twitter: @ChildCounselPBC Facebook: @CenterforChildCounseling Instagram: @childcounselpbc

PHOTO IDs:

Photo credit: Capehart Photography
142: Center for Child Counseling leadership team and members of the board of directors.
148: Impact President Lisa LaFrance, CFCC Chair of the Board of Directors Dr. Eugenia Millender, CFCC CEO Renée Layman, CFCC Treasurer and Secretary Jeffrey Petrone, Impact Immediate Past President, Lauren Sterlacci.

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