EMPOWER ME Developed by Gundersen National Child Protection

EMPOWER ME!

• Developed by Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center. EMPOWER ME! • Gundersen NCPTC prepares current and future child protection professionals to recognize and report the abuse of children. • Leaders in the field since 2003, more than 100, 000 child protection professionals have been trained in all 50 states and 17 countries on topics pertaining to child abuse investigations, prosecutions and prevention.

EMPOWER ME! The Empower Me! curriculum does not place personal safety ownership on the children. Empower Me! teaches children to identify their safety net of trusted adults and encourages them to reach out to one of those adults if anyone is trying to break their safety rules. Its intent is to encourage communication between the children and the adults in their life about this important topic, just as we do with any other danger.

EMPOWER ME! In almost all cases of sexual abuse, the offender is known to the child. Children who have been taught how to ask for help from people they don’t know have more protective factors than children who have been taught to fear all adults, so this program does not focus on the “stranger danger” concept. Children often believe that “strangers” look scary, when in reality offenders often come across as pleasant adults. The program’s safety messages focus on the behavior of the person and not on the relationship.

EMPOWER ME! It’s important to understand that prevention education is NOT sex education. This program is about abuse prevention and body ownership, not about sex. Utilizing “what if? ” scenarios, it encourages confidence in children to reach out to caregivers or authorities with their concerns and gives kids permission to say no.

EMPOWER ME! According to Darkness to Light, research shows that many children do not disclose sexual abuse immediately after the abuse occurs. In fact, many children do not disclose the abuse for years, if they disclose at all. Many adult survivors of child sexual abuse have never disclosed their abuse to anyone.

Topics include: • Checking first with the adult in charge before going anywhere with anyone. EMPOWER ME! • Identifying five adults who make up their safety net. • Listening to their “uh-oh” feeling. • Understanding that no touch should ever be a secret.

Four Safety Rules: 1. Check first EMPOWER ME! 2. NO secrets 3. We talk about touches 4. We tell if someone is being hurt

EMPOWER ME! This program is not meant to stand alone. It is important that children have ongoing conversations with their caregivers about personal safety. If this topic causes anxiety for some, it is helpful to remember that we have a plan with steps to take for this danger, just as we have with fire safety, bus safety, etc.