5 Steps to Protect Our Children

A couple of weeks ago, the VISTAs at MCCOY went through Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention training.  I ate dinner with my boyfriend the night before, and was surprised to feel the nervous butterflies in my stomach when I talked with him and considered what this training might entail.

“I wonder if it’s going to be anything like the ‘good touch, bad touch’ talk we had in school?”  I remember that day in elementary school well.  Our tight-lipped teachers herded us into a classroom where a guest speaker sat in a rocking chair with two felt dolls at her feet—one boy and one girl.  As a child, I was terrified of both dolls and strangers, so the message was especially resonant for me.

My homeschooled boyfriend was lucky and never had to experience the trauma of sitting in a small room with a stranger who pointed out the “no-go zones” on creepy dolls. 

“My mom just sat down with us and we had a conversation about it,” he said, with no trace of anxiety or discontent with the way he was taught to stay safe from potential harm.

And that’s similar to the format for Stewards of Children; this training is a conversation between adults to learn how best to protect children from sexual abuse.  There are no scare tactics, no strangers, and no felt dolls involved.   Instead, the training “helps provide adults with the capacity and momentum to take action against child sexual abuse.”  In essence, the three-hour session opens up a conversation between people who are invariably responsible for at least one child in their lives, and gives adults the opportunity to talk about, understand, and prevent a semi-taboo issue.  

During training, we were armed with a list of “5 Steps to Protecting Our Children.”  I’m going to give you two of those five steps, and encourage you to attend this training to learn the other three (see how sneaky I am)! 

STEP 1: Learn the Facts of Child Sexual Abuse

It is highly likely that you know a child who has been or is being abused.

Experts estimate that 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before their 18th birthday. This means that in any classroom or neighborhood full of children, there are children who are silently bearing the burden of sexual abuse.

1 in 5 children are sexually solicited while on the Internet.

About 35% of victims are 11 years old or younger.

30 to 40% of children are abused by family members.

As many as 60% are abused by people the family trusts.

STEP 2: Minimize Opportunity for Child Sexual Abuse

Reduce risk. Protect children.

Understand that abusers often become friendly with potential victims and their families, enjoying family activities, earning trust, and gaining time alone with children.

Think carefully about the safety of any isolated, one-on-one settings. Choose group situations when possible.

Set an example by personally avoiding isolated, one-on-one situations with children other than your own.

Monitor children's Internet use. Offenders use the Internet to lure children into physical contact.

Please visit www.d2l.org to learn more about Stewards of Children training and preventative strategies, or visit MCCOY’s webpage to view upcoming trainings in Marion County!

Works Cited:
Steps and Data collected from www.d2l.org
Picture from http://www.amamantafamily.com/dollsorderpage.htm 

February 3 Legislative Update

This week marked the deadline for bills to crossover to the other chamber and business was concluded on Wednesday. Both houses are slated to reconvene on Tuesday and committee meeting agendas are already being posted for next week. Because of the contentious nature of the Right to Work debate, a great deal of time was devoted to debating or avoiding the debate of the issue. This resulted in less time for other bills to be heard, but still, a good number related to children made it through.

The legislature is now taking some time off due to the Super Bowl festivities. For advocates, this means some time to catch our collective breath and plan strategy for the remainder of the session. MCCOY is in the process of identifying which bills to hone in on. If you see any of interest or concern to you or your organization, please let us know and we will be more than happy to work with you to navigate the process. Below is an update of those bills that either passed or failed the first house. To view the complete information and text of the bills, click here.
　
Select House Education Bills

HB1134 Various education matters (Speedy, DeLaney)
This bill is related to public schools providing transportation at no cost to parents. It passed the House 92-2 and Senator Miller is the Senate sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

HB1136 Child care ministry advisory committee (Wesco)
Requires the division of family resources to establish a child care ministries advisory committee. This bill passed the House 91-1 and Senator Holdman is the Senate sponsor. MCCOY's position: support

HB1150 Family Friendly school designation (Sullivan, VanDenburgh)
Establishes the Indiana family friendly school designation program. This bill passed the House 98-0 and Senators Kruse, Simpson and Rogers are the Senate sponsors. MCCOY's position: support

HB1169 School discipline (Koch)
This bill passed the House 72-22 and Senator Kruse is the Senate sponsor. MCCOY has some serious concerns about the nature of this bill. While the bill's author, Rep. Koch, has explained that the purpose is to give schools disciplinary options for cyberbullying and cheating that occurs during off-school hours and off of school property, the language is not specific and leaves a school's discretion wide open in terms of what they can suspend or expel a studnet for. Given our already high rates of suspensions and expulsions in this state, and the disproportionate rates of minorities involved in those cases, MCCOY feels that the language should be tweaked to reflect the more specific intent of the bill. MCCOY's position: oppose as written

HB1189 Multiple ADM counts (Thompson)
Provides that ADM counts occur twice during the school year. This bill passed the House 82-14 and Senators Charbonneau and Rogers are the Senate sponsors. MCCOY's position: monitor

HB1219 Parental initiatives for school reorganization (Rhoads, Behning)
This bill died on the House floor - it did not make it through 2nd reading.

HB1324 School accountability and turnaround academies (Behning)
This bill died on the House floor - it did not make it through 2nd reading.

HB1326 Various education matters (Rhodes, Behning)
This bill passed the House 79-17 and Senator Yoder is the Senate sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

Select House Child Welfare & Safety Bills

HB1007 Drug testing of public assistance recipients (McMillin)
This bill was brought back for 2nd reading after being withdrawn. It was amended to be a pilot program for 3 counties and does include language for random drug testing for legislators. It passed the House 73-23 and Senators Head and Banks are the Senate sponsors. MCCOY has serious concerns about the implications for children in this bill and will be working with our partners to express those concerns. MCCOY's position: oppose

HB1204 Sex offender registry (Dermody)
This bill passed the House 93-0 and Senators Steele and Arnold are the Senate sponsors. MCCOY's position: monitor

HB1365 Dual juvenile and criminal jurisdiction (McNamara, Steuerwald, Dermody)
This bill passed the House 93-0 and Senators Steele and Arnold are the Senate sponsors. MCCOY's position: support
　
Select Senate Education, Early Childhood & Child Care Bills

SB83 Cursive writing in school curriculum (Leising)
This bill passed the Senate 45-5 and Representative Rhoads is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

SB89 Teaching of the origin of life (Kruse, Holdman)
This bill was amended to state that schools may teach various religious theories of the creation of life, not just the Judeo-Christian view. This bill passed the Senate 28-22 and Representative Thompson is the House sponsor. MCCOY position: monitor

SB179 Virtual instruction course requirement (Banks, Kruse)
This bill was amended to require the Department of Education to conduct an audit of a school's capability and capacity to offer on-line instruction. This bill passed the Senate 38-12 and Representative Heuer is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: support

SB198 Choice scholarship eligibility (Eckerty, Walker)
This bill was reassigned to Appropriations and did not move on to 2nd reading.

SB236 Various education matters (Delph, Kruse, Schneider)
This bill failed the Senate for lack of a constitutional majority (25-25).

SB248 Balanced school calendar (Leising)
This bill was amended to create an interim study committee to examine the use of balanced school calendars and procedures for the implementation or discontinuance of the use of balanced school calendars. This bill passed the Senate 36-13 and Representative Rhoads is the House sponsor. MCCOY position: support

SB265 School report card (Head)
This bill passed the Senate 50-0 and Representative Koch is the House sponsor. MCCOY will be looking into this bill further to determine it's implications for schools and students. MCCOY's position: monitor

SB267 Education concerning child abuse (Rogers)
This bill passed the Senate 50-0 and Representative Behning is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: support

SB268 Advisory committee on early education (Rogers)
This bill passed the Senate 42-8 and representative Behning is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: support

SB283 Nonpublic alternative high schools; residential facilities (Kruse)
This bill was slightly amended to require the Department of Education to waive accreditation standards for an accredited nonpublic alternative high school that contracts with a school corporation to provide alternative education services for students who have (1) dropped out of high school; (2) been expelled; or (3) were not successful in the school corporation. This bill passed the Senate 48-2 and Representative Thompson is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

SB296 Certified scholarship program eligibility (Leising)
This bill passed the Senate 34-16 and Representative Behning is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

SB312 School policies on gang activities (Hershman)
This bill passed the Senate 50-0 and Represenative Timothy Brown is the House sponsor. While MCCOY supports the provisions of the bill pertaining to prevention, education and awareness for schools, there is some concern about the implications of the loose definition of "criminal gang" and "criminal gang activity" in Indiana's criminal code and how this bill could widen the net for more youth, particularly minority youth, to be inappropriately labeled as gang members. The bill also includes language about reporting suspected gang members that is arbitrary and subjective. MCCOY's position: support with amendments

SB331 Choice scholarship eligibility (Yoder)
This bill died in committee.

Select Senate Child Welfare & Safety Bills

SB4 Human Trafficking (Head, Banks, Walker)
This bill was signed into law by Govenor Mitch Daniels on January 30th.

SB190 Termination of parent-child relationship (Charbonneau)
This bill passed the Senate 44-6 and Representative Clere is the House sponsor. MCCOY's position: monitor

SB286 Department of child services (C. Lawson)
This bill passed the Senate 50-0 and Representative McNamara is the House sponsor.

SB287 Department of child services (C. Lawson)
This bill passed the Senate 48-0 and has been referred to the House Committee on Family, Children and Human Affairs. Representative McNamara is the House sponsor.

January 20, 2012 Legislative Update

The 2012 legislative session is off and running. Below is a list of bills that MCCOY is following and that have either been heard in committee or are scheduled to be heard. Given the controversy surrounding the Right to Work bill, many bills are still on hold because the House cannot convene and many committee meetings have been rescheduled. To read the bill digests or the bills themselves, please visit http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2012&session=1&request=all and enter the bill number.

HB1019 Adoption history information. This bill has moved on to the Senate. It passed the third reading 94 Yes 0 No. The Senate sponsor is Senator Broden.

HB1150 Family friendly school designation. This was amended and passed in committee 11 Yes 0 No on 1/17/12

HB1189 Multiple ADM counts. This was amended and passed in committee 12 Yes 0 No on 1/17/12

HB1326 Various education matters. Committee hearing Friday January 20, 2012 8:30am COMPLETE TESTIMONY AND VOTE

HB1324 School accountability and turnaround academies. Committee hearing Friday January 20, 2012 8:30am

SB4 human trafficking. This bill has had a lot of process and support from both sides. This bill went quickly through the senate and passed 48 to 0. Rep. Steuerwald is the House sponsor, with Reps. Foley, L. Lawson, and Welch as the Cosponsors. Several Representatives from both parties were added as coauthors. It was referred to the Committee on Courts and Criminal Code and has aHouse Committee hearing Friday January 20, 2012 at 10:30am. It is moving so quickly, presumably, so it will be passed before the Superbowl. It is effective upon passage.

SB179 Virtual instruction course requirement. Senator Schneider added as coauthor on 1/19/12Heard in committee on 1/18/12

SB236 Various education matters. Heard in committee on 1/18/12

SB248 Referendum on use of balanced school calendar. Committee hearing Monday January 23, 2012 10am

SB265 School report card. Senator Yoder added as coauthor on 1/17/12Heard in committee on 1/18/12

SB267 Education concerning child abuse. Senator Kruse added as second author 1/17/12Heard in committee on 1/18/12

SB268 Advisory committee on early education. Senator Kruse added as second author 1/17/12Heard in committee on 1/18/12

Please stay tuned for more weekly updates as the session continues. If you have any questions, please e-mail Mindi Goodpaster.

Consequences of Child Sexual Abuse

FACT: If child sexual abuse left physical scars instead of emotional ones, people would be horrified. Sexual abuse can negatively impact every part of a victim’s life. The real tragedy is that it robs children of their potential, setting into motion a chain of events and decisions that follow the victim throughout his or her life.
FACT: Emotional and mental health problems are often the first consequence and sign of child sexual abuse. However, it should be noted that some victims do not display emotional problems or any other immediate symptom in response to the abuse.
FACT: Sexual behavior problems and over-sexualized behavior are a very common consequence of child sexual abuse. These are signs of abuse that are not always included on "what to look for" lists, probably because many find it unpleasant to think about. However, age-inappropriate behavior can be a very important and telling sign that abuse is or has occurred.
FACT: Academic problems in childhood are common in children who are sexually abused. Victims perform at lower levels than their non-abused counterparts.
FACT: Substance abuse problems beginning in childhood or adolescence are one of the most common consequences of child sexual abuse.
FACT: Delinquency and crime, often resulting from substance abuse, is more prevalent in adolescents with a history of child sexual abuse.FACT: The risk of teen pregnancy is much higher for girls with a history of child sexual abuse. This is likely due to over-sexualized behavior, a common consequence of child sexual abuse.

If you are interested in attending a Stewards of Children training to learn how you can prevent the children in your life from becoming sexually abused please visit the MCCOY website to register for a training: http://www.mccoyouth.org/Intervention/stewards-of-children.html.

Help MCCOY Prevent Child Sexual Abuse!

One in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 18. What does this mean for you as a community member?

It means…
• … that Indiana spends nearly $48 million for the direct and immediate costs of child sexual abuse
• … that the long-term costs and losses are over $500 million dollars annually.

Except for murder, child sexual abuse is the most expensive victim crime in the U.S.

Let’s stop child sexual abuse before it happens!
• It only costs $10.53 to train an adult to improve their child-protective behaviors.
• Research suggests that the average trained adult will better protect at least ten children from sexual abuse in the years after training.
• The money saved by preventing just one substantiated case of child sexual abuse would pay for prevention training for 1,362 adults.
• That training would result in 13,620 children better protected from abuse.

Please help MCCOY train 500 adults for FREE through Stewards of Children. Stewards of Children is a sexual abuse prevention program that educates adults to prevent, recognize, react responsibly and take courageous action against child sexual abuse.

If you are interested in attending a training, scheduling a training for your staff, clients, family members, church members, or other adults please contact Shanna Martin at shanna.martin@mccoyouth.org or 317-921-1233.

Here is what attendees have said about the training:
“Loved it! I think it was very informative. I learned a lot and plan to advocate to see this training done in my organization.”
“Very well done and I’m very thankful this was offered at no charge.”
“Great info. Very eye-opening.”
“I will use the tools and become even more of an advocate for children and be a resource for my staff as they work with children.”

** MCCOY has committed to being a "Partner in Prevention" by training 90% of our staff in Stewards of Children. Please contact Shanna to learn more about how you can become a "Partner in Prevention" site as well.**

Child Sexual Abuse Happens Here

1 in 4 boys and 1 in 6 girls are sexually abused during their childhood in the United States.

90% of these children are abused by someone they know, love and trust.

Through a generous grant from the Department of Children's Services, MCCOY is offering FREE trainings in the nationally recognized Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention program for up to 500 adults.

This brief, video-based training about child sexual abuse prepares adults to better protect the children in their lives. The revolutionary training is for any responsible adult who cares about the welfare of children. It is also appropriate for organizations such as day cares centers, sports leagues, after-school programs, church groups and more.
Click on the links to learn more and register for the October 6th or October 25th trainings.
Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt