Sexual Abuse Prevention Education
Our Services
Providing Services in southern Kane and Kendall Counties for Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence
-
24 hour emergency shelter and hotline
-
Counseling for victims of domestic violence and their children
-
Counseling for victims of sexual violence and abuse of all ages
-
Legal advocacy
-
Hospital advocacy
-
Prevention education
-
All services available in English and Spanish
Objectives
-
Erin’s Law: Why Sexual Abuse Programs Are Necessary
-
What Parents Need to Know about Preventing Sexual Violence
Why Sexual Violence Prevention is Important
-
Sexual violence happens to people of all genders, all races, religions and socioeconomic groups
-
1 in 10 children will be a victim by age 18
-
Median age of child sexual abuse victims is 9
-
93% of children can name offender
-
67% of all sexual crimes happen to children under 17
Erin's Law Requires
Children
-
Grades Pre-K through 12 in public school education on sexual violence prevention through age appropitate curriculum
-
Provide children with the tools to speak up and tell someone about sexual violence rather than keep it a secret
-
Educate children on safe touch vs. unsafe touch and safe secrets vs. unsafe secrets
Parents and Educators
-
Educators will be trained on the prevention of sexual violence
-
Parents will be informed about characteristics of offenders, grooming behaviors and how to discuss this topic with their children

What is Child Sexual Abuse
-
Molestation-someone touching a child’s private parts or forcing child to touch theirs
-
Rape-forced penetration
-
Child pornography
-
Grooming
-
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
Who can be an Offender?
-
Anyone can be an offender BUT they are usually NOT strangers! 93% are known to child
-
Over 30% are family members
-
Most offenders are males
-
Most offenders are or have been married and identify as heterosexual
-
65% are middle income or above
-
Have between 1 and 9 victims in their lifetimes
-
In cases where victim was younger than 6, 43% of the offenders were juveniles
What is Grooming?
-
Luring a child into a sexual situation
-
Offenders choose their victims carefully
-
Will this child say no?
-
Will this child tell?
-
Will they have access to this child?
-
Can they gain the trust of the child and family?
-
-
Grooming takes time
-
Offenders do not want to scare the child away
- Do not want to get caught.
-
Take time to set a trap for victim
-
-
Offenders use tricks
-
Drugs and alcohol
-
Secrets
-
Gifts
-
Breaking rules
-
How can Parents Combat these Tricks?
-
Know the people your child is spending time with. Minimize one-on-one situations
-
Help children set respectful boundaries
-
Keep vigilant about technology. Know your child’s passwords and monitor their accounts
-
Explain that secrets can be harmful, and if someone asks them to keep a secret, they should tell you about it
-
Learn and teach older children the appropriate laws about sexual crimes, consent and technology use
-
Understand why children are afraid to tell
Talking to Your Child about Sexual Abuse
-
LISTEN to your child! Create an environment of trust
-
Start the conversation at a young age and use the proper names for private parts
-
Tell children what parts of the body others should not touch
-
Have open conversations with children about our bodies, sex, and boundaries
-
Teach children that they have the right to tell any person“NO” to unwanted or uncomfortable touch.
-
Tell children it is not OK for adults or older youth to use sexual words with them, or to act in a sexual way.
Always Believe your Child!
-
The rate of false report for elementary age children is 0.5%
-
Many children don’t tell because their offenders convince them they will not be believed
-
Research tells us that children who are believed and supported are best able to recover from abuse
-
If a child discloses abuse
-
Remain calm
-
Listen, support, & praise
-
Seek medical help
-
Report
-
Counseling
-