Training aims to prevent child abuse
One in ten children will experience abuse before they are 18 years old. Members of the Rexburg community learned about preventing that abuse Friday night. The presentation was put on by the Stewards of Children. They partnered with Operation Underground Railroad, which aims to stop child sex trafficking.
“Prevention is really really powerful,” said Shannon Fox, program coordinator for Stewards of Children. “Not just for sexual abuse or other forms of abuse, but for even issues like sex trafficking, human trafficking, which is why we’re here with O.U.R. We want people to take away that this is not some sort of professional thing that people should only get involved with if they work with children, this is for everybody.”
There are many signs to look out for when a child could be abused. There could be physical signs such as cuts or bruises. Or there could be behavioral and emotional signs such as a child being reserved, acting out or depressed and being scared of a certain care taker.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that human trafficking happens right here,” said CaRynn Harris, Rexburg volunteer coordinator for Operation Underground Railroad “We’re not safe in little Rexburg or Idaho Falls or wherever. And so it’s really important for us to have partnered with Stewards of Children because they’re helping individuals in the community recognize child sex abuse.”
The presentation taught five steps to protecting children. Learn the facts, minimize opportunity, talk about it, recognize the signs and react responsibly. Stewards of Children said communities have to protect children because they are our biggest resources for the future.
“Taking that risk, learning this information, it might feel weird for us, but we need to start making that change as a community because then it feels less risky, we can really stand up for children and believe them when they say something so that they don’t have to go through this alone,” Fox said.
Stewards of Children is hosting another child abuse prevention training on Oct. 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Island Park at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To find out more information, you can find a link to the Stewards of Chilrden Facebook page here.
