Content
The Child Assault Prevention Project seeks to end the sexual victimization of children through the education of elementary school children and adults in their communities. Recognizing children’s vulnerability to assault, it focuses on children’s problem-solving abilities to help them identify and defuse potentially dangerous situations. In a one hour and fifteen minute workshop using role-plays and guided group discussion, children learn assertiveness, peer support, and communication skills. The complementary adult workshop educates parents, teachers, administrators, and community members about child sexual assault and prepares them to respond effectively to children in crisis.
CAP’s popularity stems from its versatility and broad application. To children, CAP is fun and exciting; it’s not frightening or confusing. To adults, CAP is reassuring. Parents are often uncomfortable with discussing the possibility of sexual assault with their children. CAP provides a structure, a vocabulary, and a strategy for parents and children to talk about child sexual assault. In helping parents and children prevent assault, CAP offers hope. To the abused child, CAP means that someone who understands and is willing to help is within reach. For the teacher or parents of that child, CAP provides vital information and support during a crisis.
Based on the theory of power and vulnerability, the CAP Project incorporates the prevention strategies of understanding rights, asserting oneself, and peer and community support into both adult and children’s programs. Its goal is to increase children’s options, build their strengths, and promote their safety. In essence, CAP strives to empower children.
The Project
While the CAP Project can adapt itself to a wide variety of settings, its preferred method of implementation is for use in schools because the school community is the system that most consistently touches a child’s life. It is an excellent place to reinforce prevention messages, emphasizing, on a daily basis, the philosophy of children’s rights, creative solutions to problems, and building self-esteem. School is also the best place to reach large numbers of children to build upon the ideal of community commitment.
The programming phase of the CAP Project consists of three components:
a) a Parent Program
b) a Teacher/Staff In-Service
c) the Children’s Workshops.
The fundamental purpose of the adult workshops is to reduce children’s isolation by creating a support network among parents, teachers, school staff, administrators, and other children. By providing adults with accurate information, prevention strategies, and ways to help children in crisis, the program offers children access to trusted adults who are trained to be their advocates.
The goals of the adult workshops are to:
1) educate the community about child sexual assault;
2) develop a community support system for children;
3) provide skills and resources to help adults cope with a crisis;
4) reinforce both parents’ and teachers’ roles in prevention; and,
5) build support for the program.
As separate adult workshops, the Parent Program and the Teacher/Staff In-Service recognize that parents’ concerns and teachers’ concerns are not necessarily the same.
The Parent Program – This program should be held one week prior to the beginning of the Children’s Workshops and requires two hours. The parent Program is scheduled in the evening, if possible at a PTO/PTA meeting, and childcare is provided.
The Parent Program recognizes parents; fears not only about the safety of their children, but about the material being presented in the classroom. This program provides an opportunity for parents to confront their fears, which may well be based on many myths, as well as allowing them to see a detailed description of the Children’s Workshops. Typically, the Parent Program alleviates their concerns, while giving parents information to reinforce prevention strategies at home and to respond effectively to a child in crisis.
Teacher/Staff In-Service – This In-Service should be held two weeks prior to the beginning of the Children’s Workshops. Attendance is required for all classroom teachers and encouraged for all other school personnel. The Teacher/Staff In-Service requires about an hour and a half and would be scheduled at the convenience of school staff, perhaps during a regularly scheduled staff meeting.
On an individual classroom basis, the teacher’s support is invaluable. His or her active participation will serve to reinforce the message of children’s rights and open communication. Gaining support from the classroom teacher is one of the primary goals of the Teacher/Staff In-Service. During the In-Service, each teacher can decide whether s/he will participate in the teacher role-play, which gives children an opportunity to see an adult in their community responding supportively to a child with a problem. Should an individual teacher decline, someone else at the school (e.g. the nurse, librarian, guidance counselor, teacher’s assistant) can substitute.
A major concern for most school staff is identifying and reporting child abuse cases. The In-Service provides teachers with an explanation of physical and emotional indicators they should consider when they suspect a child is being abused. Teachers frequently say they are confused about how to respond to a child sexual assault victim. The workshop offers some basic suggestions, including crisis intervention guidelines, for responding to a child in crisis and looks at common reactions on the part of a child victim and his/her family. Reporting requirements and procedures are explained and community resources are explored.
The Children’s Workshops – These Workshops are designed to teach strategies, which will reduce children’s vulnerability to sexual assault. They are scheduled at the convenience of classroom teachers following the Teacher/Staff In-Service. The Children’s Workshops are done on a classroom-by-classroom basis for children in grades K-5.
The goals of the Children’s Workshops are:
1) to help children identify potentially dangerous situations;
2) to enable children to strategize realistic options;
3) to model alternative behavior;
4) to provide children with an opportunity to practice alternative behavior; and,
5) increase children’s confidence in their ability to successfully problem-solve
The Workshop requires three individuals trained in Workshop facilitation and crisis intervention (but in some cases, when necessary, can proceed with only two such facilitators). In each workshop, one CAP facilitator acts as the primary facilitator, whose responsibilities include delivering the content, setting the pace and tone, and generally directing the workshop. The other two facilitators act as role-players and observe children as they react to the Workshop.
The basic content and structure of the Workshops remain the same in grades K-5. The language, discussion questions, sophistication of the role-plays, and the specific issues vary according to age level. A typical Workshop includes:
1) Introduction – The facilitators introduce themselves and set a tone of informality and trust. They tell the children that they are there to talk about their rights and to show them some plays. This peaks the children’s interest and draws them in so they can learn as they have fun.
2) Children’s Rights – CAP approaches the problem of sexual assault within the framework of basic human rights. An assault is defined (for grades 2 and up) as ‘anytime someone tries to hurt or frighten you or take away your rights.’ A child’s right to say ‘NO’ or to not be touched in a way s/he does not like are concepts that are central to the workshop. Throughout the presentation, the Primary Facilitator focuses on the CAP motto that everyone has the rights to be safe, strong and free.
Facilitators ask the children to give an example of rights they have like, “the right to eat”, “the right to study and go to school”, etc. It is clear to children that they would have problems if someone took away these rights. It is explained that whenever someone takes away one of their rights – like the rights to be safe, strong and free – they would have a problem and would need to know what to do about it (which they’ll learn in the role-plays).
3) Role-Playing – In three different situations, a role-player acting as a child has their rights taken away by someone. Using the children’s ideas, the child/role-player uses the strategies of self-assertion, peer support, and telling a trusted adult to keep his/her rights to be safe, strong and free.
After determining that the children understand the concept of ‘pretending’, the role-players act out the Child Against Child (or Bully) Role-Play, in which one child/role-player takes away another child/role-player’s lunch money.
Subsequent Role-Plays interspersed with discussion follow:
The Successful Child Against Child Role-Play is modeled for the children several times. Violent strategies are avoided, emphasizing that all people have rights and it is never OK to take away someone else’s rights. Children are asked if they would like to participate in this role-play and go with the child/role-player, practicing saying ‘no’ to the “bully”, and thinking of trusted adults that they could tell about his problem.
The Stranger Against Child Role-Play allows the children to recognize a potentially dangerous situation involving an unknown adult.
The Successful Stranger Against Child Role-Play is modeled for the children several times. The children discuss what they have learned from their teachers and parents about strangers, and are asked again to participate in the role-play by using their rights to say ‘no’, help a friend in trouble, use the self-defense yell taught by the CAP team, and tell trusted adults.
The Known Adult Against Child Role-Play presents a situation where a child/role-player is touched in a way that does not make him/her feel safe, strong or free by another role-player.
The Successful Adult Against Child Role-Play shows the child/role-player saying ‘no’ to the touches s/he does not like, going to a safe place, and deciding to tell trusted adults until someone helps them with their problem. The children do not participate in this role-play.
The Telling a Trusted Adult Role-Play shows a child/role-player telling a trusted adult, usually the classroom teacher, about something that happened which took away their rights. This models for the children how to start a conversation with a trusted adult if they were ever to have a problem. The teacher/trusted adult sets a time to talk with the child/role-player alone in order to help them with their problem.
Following each role-play there is a question and discussion period, where children learn to identify feelings, sort out avoidance or fantasy strategies, and focus on realistic options.
Crisis Intervention Follow-Up – Review Time – Children are asked if they would like to talk with a CAP facilitator on a one-on-one basis after the classroom workshop. Children identify CAP facilitators as people with whom they can talk about their feelings, ideas, and problems. The majority of the children come to ask questions, share stories, or talk about a problem that they have had or are having with their rights. Children bring a wide range of concerns – anything from a problem with a friend to the death of a family member to an abusive situation. During review time, facilitators listen, answer questions, and/or help children problem-solve using the strategies learned during the workshop.
Exit Interview – After the children’s workshops are completed, the CAP coordinator will schedule an Exit Interview with the school principal or another designated contact person in the school. This interview serves several purposes: a) it marks the end of the program by transferring case follow-up responsibilities from CAP facilitators to school authorities; b) it provides an opportunity for discussion of specific cases that may require follow-up attention. (Children whose cases will be discussed with school officials are always informed of this in advance and whenever possible, should approve the discussion); and, c) it allows the CAP coordinator and the school principal an opportunity to share their perceptions about the program’s impact on the community.
Closure – The final phase of the project is evaluation; a critical and necessary component. CAP’s goal is to change the social conditions that make children vulnerable to sexual assault. It attempts to do this by:
1) making child sexual assault a public issue;
2) changing the status of children from vulnerable to strong; and,
3) reducing children’s isolation from people who can help them.
Volunteering
CASA is looking for adults from the community to facilitate our CAP workshops in elementary schools. The position of facilitator requires an individual to be able to work during school hours. You must also complete a 21-hour CAP training and be able to pass a background check.
Requirements to be certified as a CAP facilitator:
1) must be at least 18 years of age
2) demonstrate understanding and willingness to advocate for children
3) pre & post training interview with CAP Trainer
4) complete a 3-day CAP training
If you are interested in becoming a trained CAP Facilitator or would like to find out how you can help bring CAP to your child's school please email Lynn at ljaeger@mpnn.state.va.us or call 1-888-PREV-550.
Copied with permission from the ‘Citizens Against Sexual Assault’ website at http://www.casaonline.net/cap.htm
