Crook, Jefferson Counties at Child Abuse prevention ‘tipping point

BEND, Oregon  –  KIDS Center said Monday it has reached a tipping point in creating new standards of child safety by training 5 percent of the adult population in our families, schools, and youth-serving organizations with Darkness to Light’s “Stewards of Children®” child sexual abuse prevention program.

They said this lays the foundation for a proactive, community-wide approach to prevention and builds momentum toward educating and empowering all adults to protect children from abuse.

Tipping points occur when issues gain momentum and ignite, and a relatively small amount of people can effect change on a societal level.  Building upon Malcolm Gladwell’s tipping point research, Darkness to Light encourages every community to educate five percent of its population to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, providing a foundation for widespread social change.

“Five percent is a small, attainable goal that has dramatic effect on community prevention efforts,” said Darkness to Light Director of Programs Cindy McElhinney.  “This is the point when we see training initiatives take a life of their own, and we applaud KIDS Center and Crook County for their efforts to create a community where children can grow and thrive.”

Statistics for Child Sexual Abuse are startling.  In the United States alone, one in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 18, making this likely the most prevalent health problem children face, with the most serious array of consequences.  In over 90% of incidents, children are abused by a trusted family member or friend.

In Crook County 1136 adults and in Jefferson County 1027 adults are trained to create environments that reduce the risk for abuse and allow children to live, learn, play, and worship in safety.  In order to reach our tipping point in Deschutes County, we and need to train approximately 500 more adults.

KIDS Center has been training communities in Darkness to Light’s “Stewards of Children®” child sexual abuse prevention program since 2005.

“We are very proud of the over 8,500 adults in Central Oregon who have learned how to protect children from child sexual abuse through the Stewards of Children training.  However, our work is not done.  We have not reached the tipping point in Deschutes County, and even when we have reached that milestone, there is another 95% of adults in our community that can learn how to create a safer place for children.” said Kim Bohme, KIDS Center’s Prevention and Education Coordinator.

Join the prevention movement today: you could be the next adult in our community trained to prevent child sexual abuse.  Make a commitment today to protect the children in your life.  Contact Kim Bohme at kbohme@kidscenter.org or at 541-306-6062 for education, training, and volunteer opportunities in your area.

About KIDS Center:

Built by the community and for the community, KIDS Center is dedicated to the prevention, evaluation and treatment of all forms of child abuse.  In a child-friendly environment, KIDS Center provides comprehensive medical evaluations to children who may have been abused, seeking to find out what has happened and to provide a path to healing through family support and therapeutic services.  KIDS Center is a Darkness to Light affiliate, authorized to facilitate Stewards of Children training. KIDS Center has been providing the Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children training for 10 years in Central Oregon and has trained over 8,500 adults in Central Oregon.

About Darkness to Light:

Darkness to Light (D2L) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Through education and awareness, the organization seeks to create a safer world for children to grow and thrive.

Darkness to Light’s flagship program, “Stewards of Children®,” is an award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.  To date, over one million educators, youth serving professionals, organization volunteers, and community members have been trained.  “Stewards of Children” is the largest training program of its kind, with the largest network of child protection advocates in the world.  For more information visit D2L.org/StewardC