exit_to_app ConnectSafely

ConnectSafely is for parents, teens, educators, advocates – everyone engaged in and interested in the impact of the social Web. The user-driven, all-media, multi-platform, fixed and mobile social Web is a big part of young people’s lives, and this is the central space – linked to from social networks across the Web – for learning about safe, civil use of Web 2.0 together. The site contains a forum that is designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety begun back in the ’90s. ConnectSafely also has all kinds of social-media safety tips for teens and parents, the latest youth-tech news, and many other resources.

Website: connectsafely.org

exit_to_app Darkness to Light

Darkness to Light’s (D2L) mission is to end child sexual abuse through prevention, awareness and education. D2L believes that learning the facts about child sexual abuse helps prevent it. Talking about it helps prevent it. Getting involved helps prevent it. The truth is, if child sexual abuse can be prevented, it can be stopped. D2L offers the “Stewards of Children” program which educates citizens about child sexual abuse and what they can do in their communities to prevent it. 

Website: d2l.org

exit_to_app Enough Abuse Campaign

Enough Abuse provides prevention education and policy resources through its Safety S.T.A.R.S. initiative. Eight in-person and three online educational trainings are offered for parents, youth, professionals, and other concerned adults to prevent adults from victimizing children today and to prevent children from developing abusive behaviors in the future. In-person trainings are provided by certified trainers in the organizations, communities, and states that have adopted the Campaign, while the online Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse courses are available to schools and youth serving organizations nationwide.

Other resources available for Safety S.T.A.R.S. schools, youth organizations and communities include:

“Assessment Tools for Schools and for Youth-Serving Organizations”; “Are You Crossing the Line with a Student? Self-Assessment series for public schools, private schools, youth organizations and coaches; “Code of Conduct: A Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Policy Guide” for schools and for youth organizations; “20 Boundary Violating Behaviors Schools, Students and Parents Should Know About and Avoid” series for public schools, private schools and youth organizations; Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Screening tools to standardize and strengthen the vetting of school and youth organization employees; protocols to respond to reports of staff Boundary Violations; and ways to secure physical spaces to reduce opportunities for sexual abuse to occur.   

Downloadable resources are also available, including: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs for Children and Teens, a resource that lists 19 programs, including type of resource, age group, description of the various modules, evaluation information, cost, etc.; “Straight Talk Prevention Guide for Parents”; “Straight Talk for Parents of Children with Disabilities”; and localizable Child Safety Posters for schools and youth organizations.

Link: Safety S.T.A.R.S.

exit_to_app The Mama Bear Effect

The mission of the Mama Bear Effect is to empower parents and other concerned individuals to learn and take action to prevent child sexual abuse. It includes many downloadable tools for parents to support the education of their pre-school, school-age, tween, or teen children. As the Mama Bear states: “It  doesn’t take a complex mathematical equation or weapons of mass destruction to prevent  child sexual abuse. It takes people with big hearts and open eyes to stand up for children when they need us most. Every single person can make a difference in the life of a child on their own, and we as a people united can make a difference in our society.”

Website: themamabeareffect.org

exit_to_app Pledge to Prevent™

Pledge to Prevent™ is a unique online action campaign designed to empower individuals across the country to get educated about child sexual abuse and take concrete, practical steps to prevent it. Partnering with parents, sexual abuse survivors, college students and other organizations, the campaign is challenging people everywhere to choose one of over 30 pledges as either a Learner to get the basic facts, a Prevention Influencer to educate others, a Safe Community Promoter to engage schools and youth organizations in prevention training and policies, or a Movement Builder to promote prevention legislation.

Pledgers immediately receive resources matched to their specific pledge in order to build their knowledge and confidence to carry out their selected prevention action. Over 30 vetted booklets, videos, posters, reports, etc. are included in the pool of resources. Pledgers can experience the reach of the campaign through a real-time Pledge Count and a U.S. Map documenting activity in each state and the campaign’s growing movement across the country.

Website: www.pledgetoprevent.org

exit_to_app Prevent Child Abuse Vermont

Prevent Child Abuse Vermont is the developer of The Healthy Relationships Project, a comprehensive approach to child sexual abuse prevention. The programs build knowledge and skills for educators, parents, caregivers and young children ages 3-14. All programs include training for school staff on child sexual abuse and its prevention, parent engagement strategies including parent nights, and curricula to be used in the classroom with students. These programs take a developmentally targeted, trauma-informed approach to child sexual abuse prevention through emphasizing the role that adults play in prevention.

Website: pcavt.org

exit_to_app Stop It Now! and What’s OK?

Stop It Now! prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed. Through its Stop it Now! Help Line (1-888-PREVENT), it provides a confidential service that helps parents and other concerned adults address situations where there is a risk for harm or where harm has likely occurred. Using a combination of research-based public education materials and social marketing campaigns, it seeks to change the social climate and foster the prevention of child sexual abuse.

Website: stopitnow.org

What’s OK, a program of Stop It Now!, has a website and helpline that are free, confidential resources for helpful and accurate information about safe sexual behaviors. What’s OK offers space for teens and young adults to ask questions – no matter how difficult, sensitive and/or embarrassing – about their own thoughts, feelings, interests and behaviors or someone else’s. 

What’s OK Helpline Hours:
Monday 12pm-8pm EST
Tuesday 12pm-6pm EST
Wednesday 12pm-6pm EST
Thursday 10am-6pm EST
Friday 12pm-6pm EST

Text WHATSOK to 1.888.532.0550

Call 1.888.PREVENT (1.888.773.8368)

Chat or Email here

Website: https://www.whatsok.org/

exit_to_app National Children’s Advocacy Center

The National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) is a non-profit organization that provides training, prevention, intervention and treatment services to fight child abuse and neglect. The NCAC models, promotes, and delivers excellence in child abuse response and prevention through service, education, and leadership. More than 54,000 child abuse professionals from all 50 states and 20 countries have been trained by the NCAC. There are now more than 600 established and developing children’s advocacy centers in the United States alone with growing interest internationally.

Website: nationalcac.org/

exit_to_app National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth

 National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth helps parents, grandparents, foster parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and other caregivers of children and teens with problematic sexual behaviors. Downloadable resources include: “Now What? A Caregiver’s Survival Guide,” a series of newsletters including: “Talking About the Elephant in the Living Room,” and “A Guide for Parents/Caregivers Concerned About Children’s Sexual Behavior: What to Expect from Treatment.” 

The website has separate sections for parenting children (ages 3 to 12 years) and teens (ages 13-18 years). The focus is on keeping all kids safe by preventing problematic sexual behavior through parenting, staying vigilant, and maintaining open communication.

Website: https://www.ncsby.org/

exit_to_app National Child Traumatic Stress Network

 The Network provides a free 8-page downloadable resource for parents on “Sexual Development and Behavior in Children” that includes common behaviors at every age and stage of development.

Website: https://www.nctsn.org

exit_to_app SafeKidsThrive.org

Safe Kids Thrive provides guidance to youth-serving organizations seeking to improve their practices to keep children safe from sexual abuse. The website, an initiative of the Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, covers such topics as, how to develop a code of conduct, how to better screen prospective employees, ways to monitor staff behaviors and how to report suspected abuse.  

Website: https://safekidsthrive.org/

exit_to_app U.S. Center for Safe Sport

The U.S. Center for SafeSport  is dedicated solely to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on behalf of athletes everywhere. It was authorized by Congress through the  Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017,  which gave it the scope and authority to independently resolve abuse and misconduct reports for more than 11 million individuals throughout the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. It is charged by the Act to develop and enforce policies, procedures, and training to prevent abuse and misconduct. The Center’s SafeSport Code governs all participants in the Movement, and its oversight authority helps ensure that all Olympic & Paralympic national governing bodies (NGBs) adhere to Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP) that support athlete safety.  

Website: https://uscenterforsafesport.org

exit_to_app Zero Abuse Project

Zero Abuse Project is committed to transforming institutions in order to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse. Its mission is to protect children from abuse and sexual assault, by engaging people and resources through a trauma-informed approach of education, research, advocacy, and advanced technology.

Zero Abuse Project works to:

• Equip current and future multi-disciplinary teams and other professionals with the skills to identify abuse, intervene for children’s safety, secure justice, and build resiliency;
• Surround survivors of abuse and families of the missing with tools to rebuild their lives, reclaim their autonomy, and create a future on their terms;
• Create technologies that strengthen investigations, expose abusers, and provide survivors with pathways to recovery;
• Promote evidence-based research that advances child protection, and;
• Advocate policies that create and sustain a culture of prevention, disclosure, accountability, and healing.

Website: https://www.zeroabuseproject.org