Engaging Partners in Prevention In Your Community

 Define community-based prevention approach  Intro to Darkness to Light  Stewards of Children overview  Who we work with  How we can help  Success stories  Light a fire in your heart compelling you to take action in your community Today’s Objectives - 2 -

 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before 18  It is highly likely that you know at least one victim  90% of victims know their abuser  30% are abused by family members  20% are sexually abused before the age of 8  60% of sexually abused victims never tell anyone  40% are abused by older, more powerful children STARTLING STATISTICS - 3 -

Why Community Prevention?  To be intentional about protecting children we have to think on a community level  A collaborative approach has a broader impact  Effective community education alerts individuals to new information and helps build a critical mass for safer behaviors/norms - 4 -

 Comes in all shapes and sizes  Is a defined geographic area or specific demographic  Focuses on widespread awareness and prevention training  Engages supporters through networks and coalitions  Encourage changes in organizational practices  Influences policies and legislation Best Practices

 Empowering people to prevent child sexual abuse  Darkness to Light Programs Stewards of Children Prevention Training Facilitator Workshop (train the trainer) Prevent Now! Community Awareness Partner in Prevention How Darkness to Light Can Help - 6 -

D2L Highlights 2001 Founded in Charleston, South Carolina 2004 Stewards of Children evaluated and shown to change attitudes and behavior 2007 Stewards of Children evaluated and shown to change attitudes and behavior Crime Prevention Program of the Year (McGruff the Crime Dog) NOW Stewards of Children new version 50 states, 16 countries, over 8,000 trained facilitators 1,065,197 people trained - 7 -

 2 hour adult prevention training  Facilitator led or available online  Available in English and Spanish  Shares life experiences from survivors and experts  Evaluation: Increases knowledge & awareness Changes child protective behavior Stewards of Children Overview - 8 -

Stewards of Children Overview, cont

 Participants Report: Increased knowledge of CSA in general; including prevalence, consequences, and context Increased knowledge of signs of abuse Greater willingness to report suspicions of abuse and increased knowledge of reporting procedures Positive changes to child protection behaviors that will minimize opportunity for abuse to occur Increased ability to recognize or evaluate suspicious behavior and willingness to take action to stop it Program Outcomes

How Is It Done?  Through a lead agency or agencies in a community coordinating the effort  By using Stewards of Children for the adult education component  Collaborating with community partners to enforce a standard of care that best protects children

 Schools and educational institutions  Faith centers  Youth-serving organizations  Youth sports organizations  Parents  Also seeing great success with municipalities, police, and firefighters  Health care providers Who are Organizations Training?

 Tipping point: the concept that an idea or social behavior can be transmitted like a virus- it only takes the involvement of a few to result in big changes  D2L proposed that if we could educate 5% of adults in a given community, we can started building a cultural shift  Challenging and ambitious goals drives support Setting and Initial Goal

 Approximately 30 million adults in California  Goal of training 5% of adults equals 1.5 million people  As of 10/1/2015, 5,595 adults trained-1,494,405 left to meet our 5% goal  There are currently 56 authorized facilitators in CA  What we need-  A sense of urgency so we can start preventing child sexual abuse right now  Agencies and more importantly, people willing to join the movement as authorized facilitators 14 California Statistics and Challenge

Success Story: Texas Educator Initiative What prompted the Initiative? Mandate for training Success with private schools Lead Agencies: Child Advocacy Centers in 5 main regions How is the Initiative Structured? Multi- agency collaborative partners (YMCA, Mayor, Schools) Partnership with Education Service Centers in different regions Goal to train 100,000 educators Using Stewards of Children online for statewide access Success so far: Trained 144,000 educators Support from TEA for Stewards as a recommended program Stewards approved for CEU credit for educators Grant funding to provide the training for teachers

Funding Sources PotentialCommunity Partners:  Local Philanthropic Foundations  Local Service Organizations  YMCA  Local Businesses-manufacturing and retail

Experience the training yourself at Learn what else is going on in your state at individual state pages Try it, you’ll like it !

Final Thoughts “Not often in life do we get the opportunity to change something that is so profoundly tragic in our society. We must not miss this moment.” - Attorney General Beau Biden

Questions? Elizabeth Warren National Prevention Program Manager