A Program of: Prevent Child Abuse Vermont

1. SAFE-T School Faculty Training A Program of: Prevent Child Abuse Vermont

2. National Child Sexual Abuse Statistics 4 • One in girls is sexually abused before the age of 18 • One inboys is sexually abused before the age of 18 • % of offenders are a stranger to the child • Approximately out of 10 victims of sexual abuse reports it during their childhood • 1 out of cases of child sexual abuse are committed by juveniles 6 10 1 3

3. Act One An Act Relating to Improving Vermont’s Sexual Abuse Response System • Comprised of 53 sections. • Includes mandates and guidelines for schools, Children’s Advocacy Centers, law enforcement , and other systems involved in sexual abuse prevention and intervention. • Sections three and nine have implications for instruction and training in schools.

4. Comprehensive Health Education: Including Sexual Abuse Prevention Section 3 Classroom instruction now needs to include: • Instruction on healthy relationships • Communication with trusted adults • Gaining awareness of school and community resources • Recognizing sexually offending behaviors Technical Assistance Resource Guide (TARG)

5. Faculty and Staff Education Section 9 Instruction on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse, including: • Signs and symptoms of sexual abuse and sexual violence • Grooming processes • Recognizing the dangers of child sexual abuse in and close to home • Other predatory behaviors of sex offenders

6. Including Parents in Prevention Section 9 Act One specifies that parents should be given the opportunity to receive information about child sexual abuse and child sexual abuse prevention. • Protectkids.vt.gov

7. Healthy Sexual Development Ages 9 – 13 • May be entering puberty • Modesty and desire for privacy increase • May feel awkward and wonder “Am I normal?” • Peer groups exert strong influence • Sexual attraction becomes stronger • May enjoy romantic and sexual fantasies Ages 13 – 15 • Continue to experience physiological changes related to biological, chemical and social development • Seek greater independence from parents • May experiment with identity • Sexual attraction becomes stronger

8. What Child Sexual Abuse Is “Any act or acts by any person involving sexual molestation or exploitation of a child including but not limited to incest, prostitution, rape, sodomy, or any lewd and lascivious conduct involving a child.”1 “Child sexual abuse is defined as (a) any sexual act between an adult and a minor, or between two minors, when one exerts power over the other; and (b) forcing or persuading a child to engage in any type of sexual act.”2 1 Vermont Law (33. V.S.A. § 4912), 2Mitchell, 2010

9. Physical & Non Physical Acts • Physical • Frottage • Fondling genitals • Oral contact with genitals • Penetration with digits • Intercourse • Non Physical • Exposure • Voyeurism • Pornography • Inviting touch in a sexual way • Encouraging a child to masturbate or watch others masturbate

10. Grooming A subtle, gradual, and escalating process of building trust with a child. • Offenders often start by grooming adults to ensure their time is welcomed and encouraged. • Grooming increases the offenders access to the child while decreasing suspicion.

11. Grooming Children

12. Grooming Adolescents

13. Potential Indicators of Child Sexual Abuse Sexual • Sexual knowledge beyond age expectations • Preoccupation with sexual behavior • Unresponsive to adult limits on sexual behavior • Sexual exploration between children with significant differences in age or size • Child seems overly secretive, intense, or ashamed about the behavior Behavioral • Withdrawal • Increased guardedness, mistrust, and watchfulness • Abrupt changes in behavior • Acting out, anger problems, fighting, cruelty towards others, delinquency • Unusual level of modesty or body-shame

14. Why Children May Not Tell They may: • be afraid of not being believed or of being judged • be ashamed, embarrassed about, or feel responsible for the abuse • have been threatened by the abuser • not want to loose any perceived benefits • not know who they can tell • be afraid of what will happen if they tell • not recognize they have been abused

15. Responding to Disclosures • Find a private place for this discussion. • Let the child describe what happened in his or her own words • Gather only the minimum amount of information necessary • Maintain a calm demeanor • Believe the child • Reassure the child • Respond

16. Increasing Disclosures A child’s decision to tell or not is up to them, but can also depend on the behavior of the protective adults in their lives Increase the likelihood of disclosures by: • Maintaining open and honest communication • Making sure children have the words they need to describe situations that make them feel uncomfortable • Communicating that children are never responsible for abuse

17. PCAV’s Approach to Prevention • Emphasizes adult responsibility • Takes a victim, perpetrator, and bystander approach • Engages parents, schools, and communities in prevention • Is trauma informed • Research based programs that have been evaluated • Comprehensive and building sequence

18. School Conduct Scenario Walking down the hall you overhear a student make a comment about another student’s breasts.

19. School Conduct Scenario A student asks you to be their friend on Facebook. When you decline, the student points out that he is friends with Teacher X (another teacher from the school) and that they frequently communicate via Facebook.

20. School Conduct Scenario On a school trip, you notice an adult chaperone (a parent) paying particular attention to one student.  He sat next to this student on the bus and has been buying this student snacks throughout the day.  Something about his interaction with this student is unsettling to you.

21. School Conduct Scenario You become aware of a relationship between a 15 year old student and a 11 year old student.

22. Sexual Abuse Free Environment for Teens™ Overview

23. Comprehensive Prevention 1AAUW Educational Foundation, 2001 2OJJDP, Dec 2009

24. SAFE-T’s Units • Support Systems • Empathy, Self Awareness, & Self Esteem • Communication Skills • Healthy Sexuality & Relationships • Gender Roles, Stereotypes, & the Media • Power and Consent • Sexual Abuse • Survival, Protection & Healing • Risk Factors for Sexual Offending • Teens Taking Action

25. SAFE-T: Program Components

26. Questions?