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Empower children and help keep them safe by educating them.
It is critical for parents to understand that 90% of children are victimized by people they know (Darkness to Light; darkness2light.org). Less than 10% of children are victimized by a stranger. Both have devastating consequences.
Child abuse is an issue that must be addressed by the entire community. The best way to prevent child abuse is to increase awareness about the legal responsibility to report suspected abuse, provide education about the dynamics of abuse, understand its long term effects, and most important, have a conversation with our children about how they can protect and stand-up for themselves.
To schedule one of these presentations or to learn more about our programs, please contact Director of Education, Holly Tony, via phone at (318) 674-2900 or via email at htony@gingerbreadhousecac.org.
Knowledge is Power(c)
If armed with the knowledge to use their voice, children can often help stop the abuser in his/her tracks and tell another trusted adult about what occurred. Our goal is to reduce the number of child abuse victims in Northwest Louisiana by educating children and teaching them the importance of body safety. To achieve this goal, the Gingerbread House will present our Knowledge is Power program that provides age-appropriate information to your child.
Preschool, Kindergarten, and First Grade:
For preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students, we present an animated video that introduces two fun stuffed animal characters, Chip and Zoey. This is an age-appropriate, educational piece that helps very young children identify private body parts as the parts of the body covered by a swimsuit, appropriate touches, and what to do if someone touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Second and Third Grade:
For students in second and third grade, we show a video featuring our animated characters Chip and Zoey. This presentation builds on the preschool through first grade presentation by identifying appropriate vs. inappropriate touches as well as effective prevention strategies. Following the video presentation, children learn about their Safety Network and are encouraged to identify the adults in their lives they trust and can turn to when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
Fourth and Fifth Grade:
For fourth grade students, we show an age-appropriate video which is followed by body safety discussions. Because of the growing occurrence of Internet crimes against children, this presentation also includes a brief dialogue about Internet safety rules and how children can protect themselves while using the internet, playing video games, or even just surfing the web.
Middle School:
The Middle School presentation teaches students about internet safety and safe relationships. We talk about the
importance of feeling safe and trusted in all relationships, explaining how to recognize unsafe situations. We also talk to students about social media and how to keep themselves safe while using many popular apps, while playing video games, or even while searching the web.
High School:
The High School presentation builds on the middle school presentation by going more in depth on internet safety and safe relationship tips. High school students are taught what is posted on the internet is permanent and they are encouraged to think before posting content that could affect their future. We also briefly cover topics such as human trafficking and how to report suspected abuse.
Stewards of Children:
is a nationally-recognized, evidence based prevention program for adults by the organization Darkness to Light. The Gingerbread House Staff has been recognized as a facilitator of this program. Now is the right time to tell your child(ren) how to stay safe and what to do should the unthinkable happen. How do I talk to my child about body safety? What is age appropriate behavior? Are there signs of abuse? Darkness to Light is the perfect program for parents and adults who are equipping their children with information about body safety.
Mandated Reporter Training:
It is important to know what to do should you suspect a child is being abused or if a child discloses abuse to you. This class will teach the signs of abuse, reacting to the disclosure, and how to report the abuse. Individuals working with children are required by law to report! You can be a key component in strengthening a case and helping a child. Do you and your staff know what to do?
Human Trafficking Trainings for Adults:
This presentation focuses on the risk factors and signs of human trafficking. Each year the number of confirmed human trafficking cases increases in our community and this presentation will teach about warning signs of human trafficking, the population at risk, and how to report human trafficking. This presentation is ideal for anyone who works with youth/children, and will help identify a child in need. You do not need any previous training. This presentation covers the basics of human trafficking and will equip you with valuable information. Training length can be tailored to your needs.
Love 146 Not a #Number:
#Not a Number is an interactive child trafficking and exploitation prevention curriculum designed to provide youth (ages 12-18) with information and skills in a manner that inspires them to make safe choices when they encounter potentially exploitative situations and to utilize healthy support systems that may decrease their vulnerabilities. It is an interactive, five-module prevention curriculum developed by Love146. It is designed to teach youth how to protect themselves from human trafficking and exploitation through information, critical thinking, and skill development.
It is the policy of the Gingerbread House Children's Advocacy Center to provide employment, recruitment and training of volunteers, and services to clients without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic as established by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Any grievance may be reported to Gingerbread House CAC at info@gingerbreadhousecac.org or 318-674-2900, to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement at lcle.la.gov, or to the Office of Civil Rights at https://www.ojp.gov/program/civil-rights. Contact the Louisiana Legislative Auditor Hotline if you suspect theft, fraud, waste, or abuse of public funds by anyone at 1-844-50-FRAUD (1-844-503-7283) or https://www.lla.la.gov/report-fraud to complete an online report.
