Education & Outreach

One first step toward reducing the staggering number of abuse victims is through education and awareness. Too many cases of child sexual abuse go unreported. Many adults charged with safeguarding our most vulnerable population don’t recognize the signs and symptoms of abuse or don’t know how to respond. Some are afraid to get involved not realizing the devastating consequences to a child when an adult doesn’t have the courage to take action on a child’s behalf.

The agency’s Education and Outreach Program is committed to providing professionals, parents, caregivers and the community with knowledge about the dynamics and myths of the complex issue of child sexual abuse as well as on what to look for and how to respond if sexual abuse is suspected.

It is important for parents to talk to children, know the signs and symptoms and know who to call should they have any concerns. Schools, health fairs and a variety of family-based community events serve as some of the locations we are disseminating multi-lingual child abuse prevention materials.

The agency has been recognized as a regional provider and leader of providing mental health clinicians with free training on evidence-based trauma treatment modalities such as TF-CBT, ARC and SMART. The agency continues to expand the number of trained mental health clinicians receiving referrals from the agency. Since our inception in 2007, more than 150 clinicians from over 12 agencies have received training.

This training prepares youth serving professionals for a best practice response to ensure the safety of the child as well as an efficient and effective investigation. Massachusetts law requires mandated reporters to file an oral report immediately when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child under 18 is suffering from abuse or neglect. A written report is required within 48 hours. Training topics include mandated reporting laws, recognizing signs/symptoms, myths and facts of child abuse, and best practices in responding to disclosures of abuse including minimal facts interviewing techniques.

CSEC (human trafficking) is a type of child sexual abuse and the CAC manages the case coordination for all reported CSEC cases in Bristol County. The identification of CSEC victims is crucial to ensure that these victims receive the appropriate supports and services. The goal of this training is to assist the community and professionals in effectively identifying and responding to suspicions of CSEC. This training offers information on defining CSEC, the nature and frequency of CSEC, identifying risk factors for victimization, recognizing indicators that a youth is a CSEC victim and aims to equip adults with an understanding of mandated reporting laws and their role as a first responder to suspected CSEC.

Digital devices are great for instant communication with friends and family and our online world can be a fun place to socialize. However, the internet is a place where many unsafe people and situations can be found. Participants in this training will learn about the following: safe posting dos and don’ts; sexting and the related legal and social risks; and gain knowledge and understanding of online predators and grooming in an effort to reduce dangers to youth online.

Sexual Abuse Prevention – Most parents do not think twice about teaching their children how to cross the street safely. Teaching children how to keep their bodies safe from sexual abuse should be just as natural. This session empowers caregivers with the knowledge and tools needed to begin this difficult conversation. Topics include: Abuse statistics, facts/myths, caretaker choices, how to talk to your child (including proper terms for private body parts), signs and symptoms of child abuse, and how to respond to a disclosure or suspected abuse
Digital Responsibility – Use of technology is prevalent in our culture today, especially with our youth. In this session, participants will learn ways to keep their children safe on the internet and the importance of monitoring youth when using technology in an effort to reduce dangers to youth online

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, two-thirds of children in the U.S. are exposed to a traumatic event before the age of 16. Exposure to such events can have a lasting impact with a wide range of emotional, physical, behavioral, and psychological symptoms which can be described as childhood traumatic stress. This workshop will provide an overview of trauma and trauma-informed practices to professionals, parents, and individuals providing direct care to children and adolescents. Training topics include defining and understanding trauma, the impact of trauma across the lifespan, effects of trauma on the brain, common trauma reactions, best practices for responding to children after a traumatic event, and the importance of self-care for individuals working with trauma-exposed children.

This workshop was created to teach middle school-age youth to spot recruitment tactics by traffickers. As in Little Red Riding Hood, young people can fall prey to ‘wolves’ that seek to exploit them for their own gain. The film and the discussion guide were written in collaboration with survivors of commercial sexual exploitation who shared their own experiences and insights and crafted the language in order to create a film and discussion guide that are authentic and grounded in reality. The accompanying discussion gives young people the opportunity to examine their own vulnerabilities as well as learn strategies for responding to recruitment and seeking a trusted adult.

We have facilitators trained to conduct the My Life My Choice Prevention curriculum. This prevention curriculum teaches girls how to recognize and avoid the recruitment tactics of exploiters. Participants receive important prevention information and are encouraged to see themselves as agents of change – empowered with information they want to share with their sisters and friends. My Life My Choice, a program of JRI, is a survivor led program that works to end commercial sexual exploitation of children by empowering youth and their allies to fight back.

Stewards of Children: an educational program for adults in the community to increase knowledge and awareness about sexual abuse. This prevention training features real people and real stories about protecting children from sexual abuse. Visit https://www.d2l.org/education/stewards-of-children/ for more information.

The Center serves as a public clearinghouse as a child abuse expert resource for concerned parents, professionals or anyone needing guidance and advice on the subject of child abuse, how to navigate the complex systems or even requiring a referral for a credentialed mental health clinician. The Pediatric Sexual assault Nurse Examiner (Pedi-SANE) is available to provide consultation and education to medical community partners for training on rape kit use for local emergency departments and speaking to nurses and other medical personnel.

coming soon….please call us for more info.