My *new* best friend in the arsenal of gaining influence in the public school district arena to enact prevention policies and procedures surrounding child sexual abuse (really, ALL childhood trauma) in school:
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/publications/school&communitycollaboration.pdf
It's FILLED with things I've been saying, points I've been making. I hope there is movement forward by leadership.
I was also blown away by Robert Anda's talk at the ISF's May 13-14, 2013 meeting! I LOVED it when he said "We need to institutionalize resilience and NOT trauma!" I was cheering! The whole talk was inspiring to me.
And, as a way of ending this little update on a positive note, I've had TWO talks with my son's Middle School leadership (he's in sixth grade now). The first was a talk concerning a teacher who is (was?) giving out prizes to students who did well in his classroom. I went into my prevention mode, letting school leadership know that these are the EXACT tools of a predator grooming his/her prey. You know what? I was so relieved to have been heard, to have been validated, and not attacked for having brought this issue before the school. It was a 180 degree change from what I've experienced at our elementary (which is nothing but denial, denial, denial).
Monday, I attended the family life sexuality and disease prevention parent informational meeting. There was an opportunity to give feedback at the end on a sheet of paper. I went TO TOWN about how Middle School is a PERFECT place to do teen dating violence prevention education/programs! I added that talking about healthy masculinity, involving the students themselves in the programs, allowing SSL hours, helps them OWN the issue and get the message out...so I emailed the leadership with my pleas. And included a Maryland law that allows county BoE's to include teen dating violence prevention education in their health cirriculum. And guess what? I have an appointment to go in and discuss it further - potentially giving a talk in front of the school PTA on the issue. I mean really...this is a shift in the way I've been dealt with prior to the start of this school year. Dare I be hopeful? Oh, and THANK YOU startstrongteens.org/resources/policy for ALL the helpful information you've given me in the teen dating violence prevention arena!