Last week on the SARCC blog, we unveiled a new tool in our prevention toolbox. SARCC is proud to be a recipient of pilot funding to launch and evaluate project safe and smart in partnership with PCCD and The Child Maltreatment Solutions Network (CMSN) at Penn State University. One part of the program is a child focused program called safe touches. The second component is related to parent prevention education.
The component of the project safe and smart implementation that makes it an investment in primary prevention of child sexual abuse is its program directed at parents of these young children. As PCCD describes, “Parents have a responsibility and are in a unique position to create a safe environment for their children. Though many parent-education programs give parents the skills to do this generally, no parent-education program was designed around the prevention of CSA, and, to this end, none has demonstrated an effect on CSA specifically. Smart Parents – Safe and Healthy Kids, developed by the PSU Research team and lead by Dr. Kate Guastaferro, was designed to be delivered in a single additional session of an existing evidence-based parent education program for parents with children under 13 years old. Information regarding the development of Smart Parents can be found here. Research that demonstrates the effect of the program on parental awareness and use of protective behaviors can be found here. SPSHK is currently being researched as a stand-alone universal prevention program.”
Do you have children or parents in your life that you would like to assist in getting access to this program in the important information that it provides? Our prevention education staff have been participating in the training components to be able to bring this program to our community is over the past few weeks. now is the time to begin scheduling these programs in schools and community groups in your community. Contact info@sarccheals.org to request more information and connect with a prevention staff member.
