Rex Joins Announcement of New Round of Training to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
August 3, 2009
CHARLESTON, SC – August 3, 2009 – South Carolina Superintendent of Education Jim Rex joined with local education leaders and other public officials today to announce a new round of training programs that will help public school teachers prevent, recognize and react responsibly to signs of child sexual abuse.
The training programs are sponsored by Darkness to Light, a Charleston-based non-profit dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse through education and public awareness. Training for hundreds of Lowcountry teachers is set to begin in August to coincide with Darkness to Light’s “Prevent-a-Thon” event.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children,” Rex said. “We are proud of our partnership with Darkness to Light, and it is great to see so many organizations, businesses and influential people focused on the safety and security of our schools and communities.”
Darkness to Light formed a training partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education this past year. To date, that effort has trained 9,100 state teachers and educators, including 50 guidance counselors last week. New initiatives are being announced soon by school districts in Charleston County, Berkeley County and Dorchester District Two.
The month-long to Light “Prevent-a-Thon” program in August will use widespread regional media support and volunteers to help raise awareness to prevent child sexual abuse. “Prevent-a-Thon” begins Thursday, July 30 with a televised broadcast on WCIV-TV of Darkness to Light’s documentary featuring interviews with survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 40 million victims of child sexual abuse. It is linked to a host of other social issues including teen pregnancy, psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Statistics show one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before age 18. Additionally, it ranks second to murder as the most expensive victim crime in the country, with costs for intervention and treatment surpassing $3.4 billion annually.
The goal of this year’s “Prevent-a-Thon” is to educate 5,000 adults with Darkness to Light’s prevention training program, Stewards of Children. More than 60 free training sessions will be offered throughout the Lowcountry region during August. The programs include video instruction and interactive workbook tools that enable adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of sexual abuse of children.
Training is open to the public and is of specific interest to parents, youth sports organizations, coaches, camp counselors, youth service organizations, teachers and other school personnel and faith centers. Dates, times and locations of the training are available online at www.d2l.org.
