NCJ Number
96445
Editor(s)
M Schonfield
Date Published
1984
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This teacher's guide for a personal safety curriculum designed to reduce kindergarten and elementary children's vulnerability to sexual abuse presents teaching aids, objectives, information, suggestions, and discussions questions for each lesson.
Abstract
The curriculum is divided into three units: touching, saying 'no,' and telling. The key concept of the 'touching' unit is that children have the right to control their own bodies. Appropriate and inappropriate touches are considered, and some safety guidelines are established. The 'saying no' unit teaches assertiveness skills; emphasis is on teaching children that they can and should resist inappropriate touch and that they have the right to seek and receive help in dealing with abusive persons. The 'telling' unit focuses on helping children make decisions about when to tell, whom to tell, and how to tell about exploitative situations. Materials for each lesson consist of an illustration, accompanying story, objectives, notes to the teacher, and discussion questions. In an introductory section, child sexual abuse is defined, and the scope of the problem is explored. Reasons why children do not tell others that they have been abused are considered, and consequences of abuse are noted. Ways to tell if a child is being sexually abused are identified, and some common family problems in child sexual abuse cases are described. The responsibilities of teachers and day care personnel in reporting child sexual abuse are outlined. Advice also is given on dealing with parents' fears about the curriculum. Thirty-one references are listed, as are two films and one filmstrip. Two sources of anatomically correct dolls are noted.