The Right To Be Safe (RTBS®) programs are offered free through the Internet. Organizations are invited to become members of the RTBS® Web-Network to Prevent Sexual Abuse and Violence. Organizations become a member simply by establishing a web-link from their web-site to the RTBS® Web-site. The greater the Network the greater our ability to keep our children safe!

A Message from Karen Duncan:
Why We Need Adult Education to Prevent Sexual Abuse

Since the early 1980's when child abuse gained national attention, education programs aimed at increasing awareness about child abuse began to be offered throughout communities in the United States. Schools in particular have taken a leadership role in providing these educational programs to children and public campaigns have addressed the issue of child abuse nationally. These programs have been successful in increasing awareness about child abuse, helping kids to understand the types of abuse that can happen and encouraging kids to tell when abuse has happened to them.

Sexual abuse has been included in these programs under such titles as "good touch/bad touch" or "body safety". What needs to be recognized however is that sexual abuse is a specific type of abuse that children often will not recognize until it has already happened to them. One reason for this is that perpetrators of sexual abuse are able to manipulate children into their abusive behavior before they commit the first act of sexual abuse to a child's body. Another reason is that the programs are not able to teach kids about the danger that comes from the very people they know-family members and other people closest to the family-who pose the greatest threat to children.

These are among the reasons child sexual abuse continues to be the most underreported form of child abuse and its prevalence continues to increase. A National Institute of Justice study indicates that in the year 2000 1.8 million children between the ages of 11 to 17 were sexually assaulted and the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect reported that children under the age of 8 years old account for 39% of the substantiated cases of sexual abuse reported to police and child protective services. Sexual abuse is an epidemic that will not go away until parents and other adults become directly involved in preventing sexual perpetrators from gaining access to children and teens.

The Right To Be Safe: Adult Education to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse is a prevention education program primarily for parents, but is also vital information for teachers, school counselors, social workers, mental health counselors, churches, youth service organizations and anyone committed to preventing this traumatic crime to children. The purpose of the Right To be Safe Programs is to provide information to help stop the traumatic crimes of sexual abuse and violence. Women are an important focus of these programs because one of the beliefs that I have is that "when mothers are safe so are their children" so for me women and children are interwoven into the prevention that is offered through these programs. I also want to encourage men to become involved in the prevention of sexual abuse and violence. When good men speak up and stand up for what they believe then they stand against the men who perpetuate violence against women and children. The gender aspects of violent crimes are not going to go away if men avoid these discussions and non-violent men stay silent.

Together, women and men can make a difference in the lives of our children and teens. I thank each of you for caring enough to stand for the right to be safe!

Contact Karen Duncan at karenduncan@healing4women.com

(Distribution of all RTBS programs may be made as long as Karen A. Duncan, M.A. is acknowledged as the author and no changes are made to the content of the programs. Thank you!)