Clearly, child sexual abuse is a major problem. Considerable resources and attention have been directed to this issue, including those involving social services, child protective services, law enforcement, the justice system, and educational services, among others. Starting in the early 1980s, in response to the scope of this problem, the National PTA adopted a resolution urging local school boards to develop and encourage the implementation of comprehensive and informative sexual abuse prevention educational programs for children and parents.
The earliest edition of Child Sexual Abuse: A Solution was published in 1982 as the awareness of this problem exploded in Southern California. It was the first curriculum of its kind and was widely and well-received. It openly and sensitively, in a non-threatening manner, presented elementary-aged students with an overview of child sexual abuse. Through the words of Chester the Cat, an animated cat with an extraordinary tail, and several child survivors who explain how sexual abuse happened or nearly happened to them, students learn about sexual abuse and what they can do about it.
Since those early days, almost thirty states have passed legislation to require schools to include information on child sexual abuse awareness and prevention in their curriculum. Children are better prepared to protect themselves from exploitation if they have the information presented in programs such as “Child Sexual Abuse: A Solution.” This is where you come in: When you show these short video vignettes to your students (K-1, 2-4, 5-6 as appropriate) and follow up by answering questions or making suitable referrals, you are not only complying with what is in many cases, a state mandate, but importantly, you are also taking a crucial step towards empowering students with vital self-protection skills. Finally, at the end, newly introduced vignettes on social media and texting safety with a review vignette are included as optional features of this updated program. Introduce them as appropriate for your student population.