The College of Health Sciences offered its freshman and sophomore students an interprofessional service training on Oct. 4 in partnership with Darkness to Light through the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund. More than 60 students attended the training in the Student Union Building to learn how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
One in ten children will be sexually abused by age 18. There are 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse in the US. Ninety percent of abused children know their abuser. Though a heavy subject, the Boise State students who participated found the training of high quality and many would recommend the training to others.
Stewards of Children is a two-hour training that teaches adults practical actions to prevent child sexual abuse or intervene if abuse is suspected. Featuring compelling and engaging content to motivate participants, the program is design for parents, concerned individuals, and any adult that works with youth.
Guided by the vision to create a world where children can grow up happy, healthy, and safe, Darkness to Light is a national nonprofit committed to empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Although teaching children about their bodies and boundaries is important, protecting children is an adult responsibility and education is critical for prevention. Stewards of Children is an evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention, recognition, and intervention training which has been shown to change child-protective behaviors.
Through Stewards of Children, over 1,000,000 adults have been trained to protect children from sexual abuse. It is available in both English and Spanish, and in online or facilitator-led formats. For more information, visit www.D2L.org or email stewards@D2L.org to learn more about Stewards of Children, see where it is being offered in your state, or find ways to get your community involved in a grassroots initiative to end child sexual abuse.
The College of Health Sciences will host a second Stewards of Children training in Spring 2018.