Prevent 360

Healthy Touch Awareness of sexual abuse creates questions about healthy touch. Warmth and encouragement are an important part of how children learn and grow. Knowing about child sexual abuse makes us more mindful about how we interact with children. From infancy a caregiver's touch can make the difference between proper attachment and lack of attachment. Healthy touch effects brain development. It helps a child develop a sense of self. Who they are, and that they are loved and supported.  Lack of healthy affection may make a child feel needy, vulnerable, or decrease the child's self-worth. Those characteristics may make a child more vulnerable to child sexual abuse.  If a child is touch starved, attention starved, love starved or desperate to fit in, it is very easy for a person with skills to manipulate those needs for love, affection, touch and attention into abuse and exploitation. Affection in families gives children a deep sense of belonging and trust and minimizes the op...

S hould you or shouldn't you teach your children the correct names for their private body parts?   When my kids were little, I had a huge fear that we would be out in public, and they would start talking about their private body parts. Now when I think about it, it was a pretty ridiculous fear. I don't ever remember my kids walking around telling everyone they had an elbow or a shin. The only times they would talk about an elbow or shin was if they got hurt on the elbow or shin. Is teaching our kids the correct anatomical names for their private body parts any different? We act embarrassed or ashamed and use incorrect names, which sends the message that genitals are shameful, naughty, or bad. This actually increases risks of child sexual abuse. If children feel a sense of shame or secrecy for their private body parts, they may be afraid to tell anyone if someone is abusing them in those areas. They may be afraid they will get in trouble, or that it isn't something they can ...

What are your children doing online?  Are they using social media sites? Are they playing games in the virtual world?  The internet is a part of our children's lives. It is our job to help them navigate the online world, just like we do offline. Join us in learning how to keep children safe online through our Digital Safety Trainings. We will discuss online risks like inappropriate content, online privacy, sexting, sextortion, enticement and cyberbullying. We will talk about how to prevent safety risks, make a report, what you can do if your child has explicit content online, and what to put in a safety plan. Join us at one of the following options for this 1 hour training.  At the Goshen Public Library on Wednesday, January 15th from 6-7                               At the Nappanee Public Library on Thursday, January 30th from 5:30-6:30                ...