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The Child Safety Pledge
If you could protect your children and the children within your community with just one promise, would you do it? If you had a community of people that were strong, aware and gave you the necessary education and tools, would you encourage change to ensure your children were safe? We are excited to tell you that this opportunity to join a movement is right at your fingertips. We invite you to take the pledge.
The Child Safety Pledge is here to educate and empower you as the parent, to take charge within your family and your community to prevent child sexual abuse. Child Safety Pledge also educates youth serving organizations, such as schools or sports teams and those who fund these programs to protect our children.
The topic of child sexual abuse can be scary, even terrifying for parents to acknowledge. We primarily think it can’t happen to our children and that if we live in a nice area and have nice people around us, our children are safe. Unfortunately this is not the case.
The truth is that 1 in 10 children will be victims of childhood sexual abuse before they turn 18. These statistics are based only on the children who report it. There is more who do not. These children have often times emotional and social well being compromised and they deserve to be helped, defended, and protected. With Child Safety Pledge, we can help those who have been sexually abused and we can arm ourselves with the education to help prevent this from happening.
“I pledge to do everything in my power to keep children safe.”
We spoke to philanthropist and advocate Rochel Leah Bernstein who founded the Child Safety Pledge. This incredible woman was originally inspired by Erin’s Law when she knew she wanted to devise a strategy that would have an EQUALLY widespread effect on youth serving organizations in the private sector. She also wants to inspire parents to get the tools, education and arm them to protect their families and communities.
The Child Safety Pledge Movement
It will inspire parents, educators, religious leaders to be proactive protecting children. Why is it necessary to invest in creating education, awareness and empowering parents about child sexual abuse? Rochel sums it up simply yet profoundly.
How Does This Relate To My Family?
Let’s put it in perspective. Many places that teach children have a fire code. Children practice leaving their classrooms with fire drills, are taught fire safety lessons and discuss fire prevention. Similarly, precautions and education are taken with children who have peanut allergies. Everyone in class, especially educators, know how to treat a child with allergies. There are rules in place to protect the child with a peanut allergy and other students are not allowed to bring peanut based products into school. Now let’s talk about sexual abuse. Schools do try to make sure that those who have been previously charged with a sex crime are not allowed to work or volunteer within a school, but how are we regularly educating our children about sexual abuse? How are our educators regularly being alerted and educated about sexual offenders in the general area? Are children aware of grooming signs and that strangers are not the only ones who can hurt them? Unfortunately, the same level of care just is not there, but it’s not only possible to change things, it’s within our reach to change things.
Rochel and Child Safety Pledge are here to make sure you are aware that you have the power. Even though this is a tough topic, you have the power as a parent to take the pledge and protect your children and the children within your community.
Both secular and faith based institutions can really empower the communities in which they represent and parents who take the Child Safety Pledge. If we were all aware and educated on the signs of child sexual abuse and we were able to let our institutions that accept children know we want more for our families, our community will begin to change!
As a mom, we are overwhelmed with EVERYTHING. Medical appointments, after school activities, and managing the balance! Child Safety Pledge is not here to scare you or to make you fear the information you will receive. It is here to encourage you to look at the facts and to be proactive instead of reactive. You have a unique and powerful role as a parent, you can be the beacon of light and protective force in your children’s life.
Child Safety Pledge has more resources than ever before. These simple and easy to implement tips like using healthy boundaries, explaining healthy and unhealthy contact and explaining to children they have the power over their own bodies is a beautiful gift to give to your children.
Teaching our children that it is not right for children and adults to keep secrets is a lesson that can be a game changer. Not telling Mom and Dad about receiving “special” presents from another adult, receiving money, rides and other examples are ways that a child can be groomed into being sexually assaulted. If parents teach their children that they cannot have secrets with adults, it can help children begin to identify that something is not right. Keeping your rules consistent in the family can only help your child.
Child Safety Pledge encourages parents not to be too hard on themselves and to do the best they can. It can be hard to implement new strategies in your family. Remember that your clean and healthy boundaries can not only prevent a sexual assault from happening but can save lives.
Child Safety Pledge does this in a twofold approach:
ENGAGING youth serving organizations and the people who fund them to build communities and create tools and resources to help them do so.
EMPOWERING parents with the tools to educate their families on child sexual abuse and to approach organizations that care for their children. Child Safety Pledge and parents make sure that each organization is using the gold standard safety protocols.
Child Safety Pledge has strategies to help parents teach their children to be safe. Some are as simple as teaching your child that a bubble exists around themselves and their siblings and people are not allowed to touch your private areas. Identifying private areas with your children not only lifts the taboo but also allows them to identify themselves properly and communicate in case something happens.
We want you to lovingly and confidently take the pledge today! Let’s end child sexual abuse and protect our children, our families and our communities today.
