Five Days of Action

The Five Days of Action and Know. See. Respond. is back! April 24-28, the Our Y will participate in this campaign, to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and how we can prevent it together. We will focus on preventing child sexual abuse at both summer camp and in youth sports, and internet safety. We pledge to protect the children we serve, and we hope you will too! Head over to https://www.ymca.org/fivedaysofaction to sign the pledge & learn more!

KNOWing about child sexual abuse can help adults better understand what to look for and how to prevent it. As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults to the young people in our lives, we play an important role in protecting them from abuse. This requires our commitment to continually learn and then ask questions about the safety of our loved ones. The Y – and other youth-serving organizations – implement a series of measures to keep the kids in their care safe. Next time you enroll your loved one in a new program, ask them about their child protection practices. For this summer, you can use this list: https://www.praesidiuminc.com/6-key-questions-parent-ask-camp/

When we SEE boundaries being crossed or suspect a child is being abused, we can and should act quickly. Sports should be safe places for children to grow, both as people and athletes. As a parent, caregiver, coach, or volunteer, it is up to you to make sure any environment in which children in your care interact is free from abuse. Learn more about the signs and how you can help prevent child sexual abuse in youth sports at https://uscenterforsafesport.org/parents/

Did you know that you don’t need evidence to report abuse—only reasonable suspicion? But even for adults, reporting abuse is hard. We don’t want to falsely accuse someone or get someone in trouble. On the other hand, reporting might be the one thing that saves a child – or children – from abuse. It is our responsibility to RESPOND to any and all disclosure, discovery, or suspicion of child sexual abuse. As adults and children alike have turned to digital tools for school, work, and socialization, online safety matters now more than ever. Many online dangers put children at risk, such as cyberbullying, online enticement, and more. As an adult, keeping an open line of communication with any children in your care who may access online content can be key to helping prevent sexual abuse. Learn the facts, how you can keep kids safe, and how to respond to online victimization at https://www.missingkids.org/netsmartz.

This week we learned the importance of Know. See. Respond. and gained practical tools for preventing child sexual abuse—but our work is never done. The [NAME OF Y] is committed to year-round prevention, and we hope you are, too! Stay connected and informed by visiting https://www.ymca.org/fivedaysofaction.