Participants will learn how to help prevent child sexual abuse and the impact of an estimated 40 million victims in the U.S. at an upcoming “Stewards of Children” workshop.
The next workshop is set for Thursday March 27, at the Jefferson-Scranton elementary school in Jefferson from 6:30 to 9 pm. The workshop created by Darkness to Light, a non-profit dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse, is being hosted by Family Resource Center, Prevent Child Abuse Iowa and Community Partnerships for Protecting Children.
There is no cost for this training opportunity. The training is approved for credit for foster parents and child care providers. Call 712-792-6440 or 1-800-999-5101 to register.
The training is open to the public and is of specific interest among parents, youth sports organizations / coaches / camp counselors, youth service organizations, teachers / school personnel and faith centers. The workshop is designed to educate adults on how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sexual abuse.
Anne Lee, founder and president of Darkness to Light, says public education is an essential tool to provide real impact to prevent sexual abuse of children. She points to leading research that shows educating five-percent of a community’s adult population can create a “tipping point” toward societal behavior change. This tipping point carries momentum throughout the community to further spread awareness and make preventing sexual abuse the norm.
She adds that several training milestones are within reach.
Darkness to Light has surpassed certification of 2200 facilitators, who undergo advanced training in order to lead Stewards of Children workshops. Also, two communities are very close to achieving the “tipping point” milestone: Georgetown, SC and the Cayman Islands. Full statewide initiatives are also underway in Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Georgia.
