Religious Leaders from Bucks County join together for a presentation about a child sexual abuse education and prevention
BUCKS COUNTY, PA. Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) invited Bucks County’s faith-based leaders to a special presentation of the Darkness
to Light: Stewards of Children® training program on August 7 at Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Campus.
The aim of this exclusive event was to educate religious
leaders about Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children, a
county-wide training initiative directed towards adults in the Bucks County community
on how to: prevent children from being sexually abused; recognize signs of
ongoing sexual abuse; and how to respond appropriately to a child who discloses
abuse. This educational
opportunity is available to all Bucks County congregations at no cost. The
program is made possible through a grant-funded initiative and NOVA’s goal is to train 25,000 adult community members in Bucks County or 5 percent of the county’s population.
The Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children® training
is evidence-based and teaches participants the steps to protecting children
from child sexual abuse including:
§ Learning the facts – 1 in 10 children experience sexual abuse before their 18th
birthday.
§ How
to minimize opportunity through eliminating or reducing isolated one-on-one
situations.
§ How
to have age-appropriate conversations with children about personal safety and
body boundaries.
§ How
to recognize the signs and symptoms of child sexual abuse.
§ How
to react responsibly to disclosures or suspicion of sexual abuse.
Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children® statistics show that when 5 percent of the adult population in a given community receives the training, the rate of child sexual abuse decreases over time.
Special guest speakers were Matthew
Weintraub, Bucks County District Attorney; Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Bucks County
Commissioner; and The Rev. Kris Schondelmeyer, Pastor/Head of Staff,
Presbyterian Church of Deep Run and member, Presbyterian Church (USA)
National Sexual Misconduct Task Force.
“Child sexual abuse is a silent public health epidemic,” stated Penelope Ettinger, Executive Director, Network of Victim Assistance, after the event. “Faith communities, like no other group, bring together communities where public health issues can be framed with a moral compass to discuss uncomfortable topics that impact on our lives and those we want to protect and profoundly love - our children. Faith leaders are essential partners in ensuring that we educate every adult in our community providing them with the information and tools on preventing child sexual abuse in families and communities.”
ABOUT
NOVA
Network
of Victim Assistance (NOVA) supports, counsels and empowers victims of sexual
assault and other serious crimes in Bucks County and works to prevent and eliminate
violence in society through advocacy, training, community education and
prevention programs. Founded in 1974, NOVA is a non-profit 501(c)(3),
community-based organization operating out of three offices in Fairless Hills,
Jamison and Perkasie. Services are made possible through the financial support
of federal, state and local government grants and contracts, corporations,
foundations and private donations. All contributions are tax deductible to the
extent provided by law. For more information, visit www.NOVABucks.org.
About Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children®:
the Safe and Healthy Communities Initiative (SHCI) is
one of four pilot projects being implemented in Pennsylvania. Through the
cooperation of the Penn State Child Maltreatment Solutions Network and the
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the SHCI launched in January, 2018. Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children® is
part of the larger SHCI. Funding for this project comes from the
monetary penalties levied on Pennsylvania State University (PSU) by the
National Collegiate Athletic Association as a result of the Jerry Sandusky
case. The Bucks County Department of Housing and Human Services
and NOVA were selected through a competitive application process. The
long-term goal of the SCHI research project is to expand this effort to all
counties in the state.
Bucks County is a leader in the Commonwealth on addressing the
epidemic of child sexual abuse. The Office of the District Attorney, the
Children and Youth Agency, NOVA, local law enforcement, schools, and many
community partners have worked hand-in-hand to keep children safe. However, in
order to truly prevent sexual abuse, the community at large must come together
and Darkness to Light: Stewards
of Children® is the first step.
For more information visit https://www.novabucks.org/D2L. To schedule a training for your community, congregation or place of business contact Grace Wheeler at 215-343-6543 or email grace@novabucks.org.
###
Photo Caption (Photo courtesy of NOVA)
Photo: group shot.jpg—Clergy members from Bucks County gathered to learn about the Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children® child abuse education and training
program held on August 7, 2019 at Bucks County Community College in Newtown,
Pa.
