KENTVILLE, NS - It’s a topic that is difficult to broach and a subject that must be addressed all in one.
“Ninety per cent of children who are abused are abused by someone they know and trust. Sixty per cent of the time, that is an immediate or extended family member,” says Katelyn Brewer, president and chief executive officer of Darkness to Light, in a recent phone interview.
Darkness to Light is an international non-profit organization that offers training programs for adults wanting to learn more about steps that can be taken to prevent child sexual abuse.
“Be comfortable in your discomfort. We are trained by society to be shy about sex and our bodies, and it’s a very difficult thing to talk about but, if you are comfortable in your discomfort, then that reduces the stigma associated with this topic,” said Brewer.
She added that statistics compiled for the United States say one in 10 children will be a victim of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday – and those numbers don’t account for the cases that are not reported.
“It’s never too early to make the right decision to speak with your children… remember that they don’t have the same stigma that you do about these things. They learn that stigma from you, and that’s the most important part of this.”
The general fear of stigma, and lack of conversations around the prevention of childhood sexual abuse, leaves more children at risk.
“We live in a semi-puritan society and so we just ignore those types of things. We’d rather talk about violence than we would about sex, and that manifests itself into stigma-related issues preventing us from teaching adults how to protect themselves and their kids from perpetrators. Perpetrators thrive on that.”
The Darkness to Light training programs are built around the assertion that adult education is essential in the prevention of child sexual abuse. The organization offers a Stewards of Children training program that teaches adults about prevention, recognition and responsible reactions to child sexual abuse.
“We believe that it is the responsibility of the adult, and the adult only, to prevent child sexual abuse,” said Brewer.
“What we mean by that is that the power dynamic between adults and children is never equal.”
Read more:
• ‘You are not alone’: SOAR marks 25 years of helping adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse
The Stewards of Children training is preceded by The 5 Steps to Protecting Our Children introductory guide. The guide covers practical and proactive steps adults can take to protect children, including: learn facts, minimize opportunity, talk about it, recognize the signs and react responsibly.
It’s important to teach children the anatomically correct names of their body parts, and have conversations about boundaries, said Brewer.
“We could save ourselves a lot of time, heartache and money if we just invested more in prevention.”
Child sexual abuse is a world-wide issue that knows no borders and leaves a lasting impact that is beyond measure, Brewer stressed.
“It affects every community, every age,” she added.
“It does not discriminate.”
Learn more about Darkness to Light’s crusade to end child sexual abuse at https://www.d2l.org/.
Need help now?
Mental Health Crisis Line
1-888-429-8167 (toll-free)
Available 24 hours, seven days a week
Kids Help Phone
1-800-668-6868 (toll-free)
Available 24 hours, seven days a week
Or call 911. or go to your closest emergency department.
Did you know?
Darkness to Light has teamed up with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman to offer its Stewards of Children training program to the public at no cost. For more details on how to access the training, go to https://www.fliptheswitchcampaign.org/.
