FIVE DAYS OF ACTION - HELP PREVENT CHILD ABUSE

The YMCA is marking Child Abuse Prevention Month with Five Days of Action, April 22-26, 2019. Leading up to Healthy Kids Day®--a national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids--Five Days of Action focuses on preventing child sexual abuse by sharing tips on how adults can prevent child sexual abuse. During April and all year long, the Y encourages adults and organizations in the community to play a vital role in making North Texas a safer place for children.

This year’s Five Days of Action theme is “Know. See. Respond.” When adults know how abuse happens, see the warning signs, and respond quickly to prevent abuse, they foster a culture of child abuse prevention. Together, we can bring awareness to the issue of child sexual abuse in our communities and have important conversations around how we can all work together to prevent it from happening.

At the Y we believe protecting children from sexual abuse must be the number one goal of every person who cares about the health and well-being of kids. Together, we can stand up to demand that children are protected and encourage adults to make it happen in our community. It takes all of us.

The Dallas YMCA and the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, with support from YMCA of the USA, Darkness to Light, the Redwoods Group Foundation, and Praesidium have made materials available to help adults learn more about preventing child sexual abuse.

CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE STATISTICS - PROVIDED BY DARKNESS TO LIGHT

  • One in ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
  • 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser.
  • Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members.
  • 60% of child sexual abuse victims never tell anyone.

False reports are rare. Research shows that only 4 to 8% of child sexual abuse reports are fabricated.

For more information about preventing child sexual abuse visit www.fivedaysofaction.orgMaterials are derived from YMCA of the USA’s “Know. See. Respond.” copyrighted in 2019.

Authored by: La Shae