Community Corner
Prevent Now! Community Meeting - Understand the Problem of Child Sexual Abuse and How You Can Help
The statistics are alarming; experts estimate one in ten (1-in-10) children will be sexually abused before their eighteenth birthday. The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges will be holding a Prevent Now! Community Awareness Meeting to address this community issue on March 28, 2014 at Prospect Presbyterian Church located at 646 Prospect Street in Maplewood, New Jersey. The workshop is aimed at helping people understand the problem of child sexual abuse, and how we can all work together to keep our children safe. The event is free and open to the public, however, registration is required. Please visit http://www.metroymcas.org/preventnow to register.
Why child sexual abuse prevention? The Metro YMCAs of the Oranges believes protecting children from sexual abuse is an adult responsibility. As adults, we strap children into car seats, we hold their hand across busy streets, and ask where they are going and who they will be with - all to keep them safe. As adults, we must also take steps to protect them from sexual abuse.
Child abuse statistics show that the primary reason adults do not adequately protect children from child sexual abuse is that they simply don't know how, or are intimidated by the subject which can feel daunting and complex. Awareness and education are key to preventing child sexual abuse. This community meeting will help to demystify the problem and create a plan of action. The Metro YMCAs of the Oranges is a community leader in child protection and safety measures, and has been working with Darkness to Light (D2L) to develop resources and trainings to help adults and youth-serving organizations to recognize, respond and react responsibly to signs of child sexual abuse.
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"At the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, our number one priority is protecting kids, not just the kids in our programs, all kids. This initiative reaches beyond the walls of the YMCA family. It brings the issues of Child Sexual Abuse and a call to action for prevention into the community's awareness. Protection is an adult's responsibility and we want to train as many adults as possible in order to make the our community stronger and safer."says Richard K. Gorab, President and CEO of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges.
The Prevent Now! Community Awareness Meeting is an important part of our local protection efforts; everyone who cares about the safety of children is encouraged to attend, including parents, teachers, youth-serving organization leaders and risk management professionals, legislators, daycare professionals and caregivers, law enforcement, media, sports clubs, camp leaders, scout leaders, clinical and social workers, medical staff, military and more.
