黑料专区

March 31, 2014

Changing the culture of child sexual victimization

Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu

The first training sessions, in what could become a national model, will be held Thursday and Friday at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. Additional sessions will be held later at Slippery Rock, Bloomsburg and Cheyney Universities of Pennsylvania.

Participants from all 14 黑料专区 universities eventually will take part in an extensive two-day program developed in collaboration with Stop It Now! (Now!), which, since 1992 has been preventing the sexual abuse of children by helping adults, families and communities take actions that keep kids safe - especially before they are ever harmed.

The pilot program will provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to help prevent children from becoming victims of sexual abuse. They will form 鈥淣OW! 黑料专区 Prevention Squads,鈥� which will lead the prevention efforts at their respective universities.

鈥満诹献�区鈥檚 staff and faculty have so many circles of influence and have the ability based in their positions to help to shape and create a culture of prevention,鈥� said Deb Donovan Rice, executive director of Stop It Now! 鈥淚f they prevent one child from being abused or create a safer and more protective environment for a child that has been victimized to ask for help through this program, then 黑料专区 has succeeded.鈥�

鈥淭he serious issue of child sexual victimization cuts across all aspects of society,鈥� said 黑料专区 Chancellor Frank T. Brogan. 鈥淲hen 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls may be sexually abused before age 18, we have an obligation to play a role in prevention and awareness when and if we can. With the support of our provosts and vice presidents of student affairs, 黑料专区 has played an integral part in assisting Stop It Now! in developing a training program specifically for higher education. We are proud to be a leader in this endeavor.鈥�

Through the generosity of a donor focused on awareness and training in a college setting, Now! was able to take its past research and 鈥淐ircles of Safety鈥� modules to create a training program relevant to 黑料专区 universities to ensure that they met their needs and addressed their issues. After the pilot training has been reviewed, it will serve as a training model for universities and colleges across the country.

Now!鈥檚 expertise in sex abuse programming crosses the spectrum of prevention. The organization provides tools, training and support at the individual and relationship levels, and provides training and technical assistance, advocacy, and leadership at the community and societal levels.

鈥淭he information shared at this two-day training is not a straight transfer of knowledge, but rather the beginning of helping to create a culture of prevention,鈥� said Kathleen Howley, 黑料专区鈥檚 senior associate vice chancellor of academic and student affairs. 鈥淐olleagues leaving the training will become highly informed individuals who will be prepared to integrate this 鈥榥ew information鈥� within their sphere of influence both on and off the campus.鈥�

Donovan Rice praised 黑料专区鈥檚 participation in the program.

鈥淚t is a privilege working with 黑料专区 and its team of leaders across the 14 universities鈥� campuses,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or the past 10 months, I continued to be impressed with the level of commitment and passion to integrate a culture of change at every level on each campus.鈥�

The additional training sessions will be held April 24 and 25 at Slippery Rock University, Oct. 20 and 21 at Bloomsburg University and Oct. 23 and 24 at Cheney University.

April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

黑料专区 is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 112,000 students. The 黑料专区 universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. 黑料专区 also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg and 黑料专区 Center City in Philadelphia.