The YMCA of the Pines is on a mission.
During the last week of April, which is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the organization participated in a week-long push to make the community more aware of the issue.
The initiative, called Five Days of Action, which began on Monday, April 22 and ended on Friday, April 26, advocates for children in the community and across the nation by raising awareness to adults about child sex abuse.
One in 10 children is sexually abused before their 18th birthday, and 90 percent of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser, according to Darkness to Light, a nonprofit organization that advocates for sexually abused children.
That’s why, this year, the organization’s theme is “Know. See. Respond.” It believes that when adults know how abuse happens and are informed on the warning signs, they can respond more quickly to prevent abuse and ultimately foster a culture of prevention.
“The goal of this Five Days of Action campaign is to raise awareness and to inspire adults to take action to protect children from sexual abuse,” said Greg Keresztury, director of operations at YMCA of the Pines..
During the five-day campaign, the organization called on board members and key partners to sign a petition that pledged to protect children. As part of the pledge, participants were given a quiz in which they were asked questions about different statistics involving child sex abuse.
On Facebook, folks in the community were able to see posts from the organization that showed statistics of sexual abuse and resources for someone who may suspect it with a child.
Parents of children who are in the School’s Out program, the before- and after-school childcare program, and the parents of summer camp attendees were all given resource guides that included information about safe sleepovers and tips about body safety.
The local organization sought to use the month as a way to create its own initiative that encourages adults and groups in the community to participate in making Medford and the surrounding communities a safer place for children.
“Protecting children from sexual abuse must be the No. 1 goal of every person who cares about the health and well-being of kids,” said Keresztury. “Together, we can stand up to demand that children are protected and encourage adults to make it happen in our community. It takes all of us.”
The materials that were made available to adults were created with help from the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, YMCA of the USA, Darkness to Light, the Redwoods Group Foundation and Praesidium. All of these organizations advocate and support programs that are dedicated to preventing sexual abuse of children.
Child sexual abuse reports should be made to the police and/or state child protective services. Contact the Darkness to Light Helpline at (866) FOR-LIGHT or text LIGHT to 741741 to have questions answered by trained counselors at no charge.
