Bystander Awareness


April has been designated by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) as Sexual Assault Awareness month.  Granted, sexual assault is not a pleasant topic, especially when it involves children, which is the focus of this year’s awareness.   When we hear of cases where adults have used children as a means to gratify themselves sexually, most of us are appalled and outraged.   It is always an additional shock to find out that many people knew or suspected the wrongdoing all along, and did nothing to stop it.

Surely if bystander adults only knew of the dire, sometimes life-spanning, physical and mental health issues that face our young victims, more people would step forward to prevent all forms of sexual harm to children. 

No matter how objectionable the topic, this is a serious issue that needs to be at the forefront of our thoughts, our plans, and our policies, not just here at Transitions, but in our homes, schools, churches, and communities.  When research findings suggest that an estimated 25% of girls and 16% of boys have suffered childhood sexual abuse, it is high time that we put aside our natural aversion and devote our energies to stopping this outrage. 

By presenting Safe Touch programs in the classroom, the Education Outreach department at Transitions provides a foundation for children to learn about not only body safety in general, but a risk-free way to determine what parts of their body are especially private and important to keep safe.    We stress that while our young bodies are still growing and developing, the areas that are covered by our swimsuits are especially important to keep safe.  By addressing the differences between a boy and a girl in this way, we give children an acceptable way to identify their key differences.  By stressing the importance of keeping these parts of our body safe and private, we hope to decrease the risk of them falling prey to adult or older children who would exploit them.   We also teach children to respect these parts of their bodies and be able to identify them comfortably, without shame or embarrassment.   In our efforts to keep children safe, we teach them what touches are appropriate and what touches are not; we instruct them not to keep “bad” secrets; we give them an opportunity to discuss the trusted adults in their life – who to tell and when to tell and even the words to use when they tell. 

However helpful arming our children with this knowledge may be, our true aim must to be to increase awareness of the plight that child sexual abuse leaves on our children, their families, and communities.  Until each citizen does their part to stop the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, we are throwing the responsibility of keeping safe on shoulders too small and ill-equipped to handle this type of offense.

Here are a few suggestions from the NSVRC on how best the bystander adult can do their part to keep children safe:

·         Educate yourself about how to create environments for children that promote healthy development, relationships, and sexuality;

·         Challenge media messages that normalize and promote children as sexual objects;

·         Report any suspected child abuse or sexual exploitation to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare’s Child Abuse Hotline at 800) 932-0313.

For more information about this topic, please visit the NSVRC website at www.nsvrc.org/saam/sexual-assault-awareness-month-home.
Submitted by Ethel F.

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