Sexual Abuse Prevention/Awareness Campaign

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Abuse Awareness Month. The Family Care Community Partnership, in collaboration with several local organizations noted below, is sponsoring a campaign to raise awareness of sexual abuse and provide information and resources to members of the community.

Below is some information from the Woonsocket Kids' Help Team Agency Participants:

Ignoring Sexual Abuse Will Not Stop It: Tell Someone, and Keep Telling!

Unfortunately sexual abuse happens to children and teens. But there are many people that understand and can help.

What is sexual abuse?

Sexual Abuse is: Any sexual behaviors (activities that involve private parts of the body) that are unwanted or forced on someone.

Sexual abuse can be:

• Touching private parts of the body or forcing touch of another person’s private parts.
• Talking about private parts of the body in a sexual and/or inappropriate way.
• Taking pictures and/or showing pictures of private parts of the body.
• Sending e-mails or text messages, or phone calls about inappropriate sexual topics.

YOU ARE NOTE ALONE: Sexual abuse happens to many children and teens

• Up to 80,000 cases of child sexual abuse are reported annually, but the number of unreported cases is much greater.
• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual abuse before they are 18 years old.

WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW:

• Everyone (children and adults) has the right to feel safe wherever he or she is.
• It is the job of adults to keep children safe.
• If a child is sexually abused, it is NEVER the child’s fault.
• The only person responsible for sexual abuse is the person doing the abuse.
• It is NEVER too late to tell someone. It is ALWAYS OK to tell.
• If you couldn’t say “no”, or were afraid to say, “no” that is OK.

If you feel like this has happened to you…WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• Tell someone that you trust.
• If he or she does not believe you, or does not help you, tell someone else.
• Keep telling until the abuse stops.
• If the abuse should happen again, tell someone again.
• Explain exactly what happened to you and be specific. Saying, “he bothers me” is not too clear; you want the person to understand what happened.

WHO CAN HELP? WHO SHOULD YOU TELL?

• Any Adult that you trust:
• Family member
• Teacher or Guidance Counselor
• Doctor or Nurse
• Neighbor
• A Friend’s Parents

If you feel like there is no one in your life who can help:

WE ARE HERE: Call us! The number is 800-494-8100 and someone will answer your call 24 hours a day.

This is a confidential number! You can call to get more information, ask any questions that you have, or talk to someone who can help!

Woonsocket Kids' Help Team Agency Participants:

• Day One www.dayoneri.org
  Family Resource Community Action & Family Care Community Partnership www.famresri.org/
• NRI community Services www.nricommunityservices.org
• Sojourner House www.sojournerri.org
• Woonsocket Prevention Coalition www.woonsocketpreventioncoalition.org
• Woonsocket Head Start Child Development Association, Inc. www.whscda.org
• Thundermist Health Center www.thundermisthealth.org