Bethann Durbin Dyn.

Of Child Abuse Reflection Paper 2 10/14/201

!n "epte#ber of 200$% then !llinois Rod Bla&o'e(ich announced that all public &rade and #iddle schools in !llinois )ould be participatin& in a child safety pro&ra# called% Child *ures Pre(ention. "tarted by +en ,ooden about 20 years a&o% he has de(eloped a pro&ra# )here he &oes fro# school to school teachin& children and adolescents about street safety% and ho) to a(oid unsafe indi(iduals. *ures is based on a&e appropriateness% honesty% adult cooperation% and surpassed the -"tran&er Dan&er. )ay of teachin& children ho) to be safe on the street or at the par/. 0e teaches that the reason )hy "tran&er Dan&er is irrele(ant in this day in a&e is because stran&ers are no lon&er u&ly% scary% and #ean1 althou&h it #ay be scary )hen confronted by a possible lure. "tatistics sho) that #ost child predators are people the child /no)s and trusts. 2o teach the child that they are al)ays stran&ers and that e(ery stran&er is dan&erous is not e3actly accurate. !n the *ures Pro&ra#% +en co#es out and identifies different type of lurin& approaches. 2hese are the #ost deadly% 2he Pet *ure4 ! lost #y do&% ! can5t find #y do&% 6sho)s a picture of the do&7. Can you please help #e find #y do&8 2hey lead the child to a )ooded area or a location a)ay fro# #ass population and then does his/her da#a&e. 2his person #aybe so#eone you don5t /no)% but can be so#eone you do

/no) and trust. Children by nature are (ery trustin&% instincti(ely are helpers% and ha(e been tau&ht to respect their elders. 2here is also the helpful nature lure% authority lure and affection lure. ! thin/ #aybe )e need to be #ore specific to our children about )hat trust and respect #eans. 9nderstandin& that at a&e fi(e you ha(e to spea/ to the# as if they are fi(e and not si3teen. 0o)e(er% don5t #ista/e nai(ety and youn& a&e for bein& incapable to understand. Children are a lot s#arter than &i(en credit for. ! thin/ adults are #a/in& #ista/es by thin/in& the children are not able to co#prehend% or &rasp certain concepts. 2hey thin/% -,ell ho) do ! tell #y child not to trust &rand#a and &randpa8. :ou don5t% you teach the# that they can al)ays tal/ to you and tell you anythin&. ;othin& they tell you )ill #a/e you #ade at the#% and teach the# about beha(iors that are inappropriate% li/e people touchin& the# under the bathin& suit area% another one of the points #ade in +en5s (ideo. ! thin/ so#e of the #ost i#portant thin& )e can teach our children is self confidence% and help the# build a &ood positi(e self estee#. A child )ith a &ood self estee# is &oin& to ha(e &ood instincts. Children should be tau&ht to trust those instincts. !f so#eone #a/es the# feel unco#fortable% or if they are out ridin& a bi/e and thin&s don5t see# ri&ht% find an adult% tell so#eone% call the police if needed. A&ain% this you probably teach to a child )ho is at the point of bein& left at the par/ by the#sel(es% or bein& allo)ed to &o to friends houses for o(erni&hts. A&e appropriateness is (ery i#portant. :ou don5t )ant to #a/e your child scared to &o outside and en'oy the outside )orld. "ince technolo&y has &ro)n leaps and bounds o(er the last t)enty years% children no) ha(e access to a #uch bi&&er )orld than )hat they used to. 2he internet has

opened the# up to so #any possibilities% #any of the# &ood% but there are literally thousands of predators )aitin& to tal/ to your child on the other side of that screen. !t is said that 2$#illion children are online today. ;ot all of those children are bein& #onitored by an adult% and the fact is e(en if they are% they parents don5t /no) )hat te3t lin&o #eans% and the /ids are #uch #ore co#puter sa((y than the adults are. ! belie(e that before children are allo)ed on a co#puter% the adult and child should be re<uired to ta/e a co#puter safety class to&ether% to teach not only the child% but the parent on thin&s to loo/ for% )hat does -=!B=. 6#o# is behind #e7. A child should be tau&ht to ne(er &i(e their a&e% school% fa(orite color% any personal infor#ation out to anyone online% or that they don5t /no). !t should be #ade absolutely clear that you ne(er #eet anyone fro# online. !n this &reat )orld of technolo&y% there has co#e the in(ention of the cell phone. Phones are no) not used to 'ust call people )ith1 you can &et on the internet% te3t% etc. ,ith the addin& of te3tin& to cell phones% teens )ith uncontrollable libidos and child predators ha(e decided its o/ to send se3ual pictures and te3ts. 2hese te3ts are often unsolicited and un)anted. 2his is also a proble# on sites li/e >aceboo/% 2)itter% =y"pace% etc. Basically )hat +en ,ooden5s pro&ra# teaches is% be honest )ith your child% /eep the lines of co##unication open )ith the#% teach the# to trust their instincts% and to al)ays re#e#ber% there is no puppy.