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The Safe Child Program
The Safe Child Program is a comprehensive curriculum which teaches prevention of sexual, emotional and physical abuse by people known to the child; prevention of abuse and abduction by strangers; and safety in self-care. Presented in a preschool through third grade series, it teaches a broad base of life skills. In nearly a decade of evaluation, the Safe child Program has clearly demonstrated that it reduces children's risk of abuse and enhances their personal safety and competence.
Is positive, non-explicit and non-threatening
Teaches skills which reduce children's vulnerability
Raises self-esteem and improves self-reliance
Is multi-racial and multi-cultural
The SAFE CHILD Program incorporates:
Teacher training to ensure consistent presentation of the Program
Parental education to enhance understanding and reinforce Program goals
Videotapes to guarantee the accurate introduction of the concepts to the children
Classroom role-playing to develop individual mastery of safety skills
The SAFE CHILD Program Concept:
Parents, schools and organizations can use all the technology at their disposal, but experience tells us that we are almost always surprised to discover perpetrators in our midst. In addition, a substantial percentage of child abuse happens at the hands of parents. We cannot expect these children to receive adequate prevention messages at home.
It is important that prevention education be accomplished without diminishing children's' sense of well-being and trust in their everyday lives.
VIDEO Safe Child Program uses role-play to teach skills.
The Safe Child Program accomplishes this by teaching skills which are applicable in everyday life. Children are not told what child abuse is or that it might happen with someone they love and trust. Rather, they are given opportunities to practice acting effectively on their own behalf in situations which are known to precede abuse.
VIDEO Your Body Belongs to You Prevention Strategy
Although we work to protect children, there are times when children can and must be responsible for their own well-being -- particularly if they are alone with a potential abuser. The best overall defense children have against abuse is:
Permission to speak up on their own behalf,
The ability to accurately assess and handle a variety of situations,
Knowing where and how to get help,
Knowing they will be believed.
VIDEO The I'm Going to Tell Strategy
Children have a right to be safe without being afraid and children who have been taught to think for themselves are the safest children of all.
"The Safe Child Program is one of the most responsible and effective programs available for teaching personal safety skills and reducing the vulnerability of children to abuse. I wish all children could have the opportunity to participate in this program." Ross Dawson, Director of Training, the Institute for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Toronto, Canada
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SAFE CHILD PROGRAM,
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
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Copyright © 1996 -2010 Coalition for Children, Inc. a not-for-profit (501c3) organization and Sherryll Kraizer, PhD