| Stop It Now!® Campaign
Child
Sexual Abuse in Virginia
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men have been a victim of child
sexual assault
- Over half of women experienced sexual assault before the
age of 13, as did 39% of men
- 71% of assaults against children were perpetrated by adults
- Almost half of the perpetrators were identified as family
members
- Only 10% of perpetrators were strangers
- 89% of the perpetrators were male
About
the Virginia Stop It Now! Campaign
In response
to an objective of Sexual Violence State Plan for Virginia,
a steering committee worked with VDH to decide how to implement
a helpline service in Virginia. The committee then worked
with a marketing firm to develop a campaign message to promote
the helpline in Virginia. The
campaign was piloted in the Richmond area with billboards,
radio ads, bus ads and posters. Read the evaluation
of the pilot campaign. In subsequent years, the billboard
and radio campaign was run in the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest
Virginia . In 2007 the campaign is in the Tidewater area.
Stop
It Now! Dialogue
An
Open Dialogue on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Between Survivors,
Family Members, Recovering Offenders & Professionals Conversations
about child sexual abuse - whether they are private discussions
in our homes or public discussions in the media - always seem
to begin and end the same way. There's no doubt a problem
exists, but also no idea what we can do about it. After all,
right here in Virginia 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men have been
a victim of child sexual assault. Where do we even start to
address such a big issue? The answer begins with talking about
the issue constructively with everyone who is affected, and
the Stop It Now! dialogue is designed to do just that. It
will bring together survivors, recovering sex offenders, family
members, and treatment providers to offer their stories of
hope and begin to create a more optimistic reality in our
community where all adults understand the role they can play
in stopping child sexual abuse before it starts. Indeed, this
is a unique opportunity to learn from those directly affected
by sexual abuse.
This event was held
in Richmond in 2003, Norfolk in June 2007 and to be in Harrisonburg
in the fall of 2007. There may be an opportunity to bring
this event to your community in 2008-2009. If you are interested
in bringing this event to your community, be sure to subscribe
to the list
server to receive an announcement.
About the Stop
It Now! Helpline
The Stop It Now! Helpline was established in 1995 as a toll-free
resource for individuals with questions or concerns about
child sexual abuse. The helpline is available for anyone concerned
about sexually inappropriate behaviors in another adult, adolescent
or child or in themselves. Professional staff provide an opportunity
for you or any concerned caller to gather information, talk
through a situation and explore options for taking action.
All calls are confidential.
The helpline is available Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
at 1-888-PREVENT (1-888-773-8368).
Professionals working
in the field of child sexual abuse prevention will answer
your call. The person on the other end of the line will help
you:
- Know what to watch and listen for between an adult and
child if abuse is happening.
- Know the warning signs that a child has been abused.
- Learn the signs to recognize in an adult if they are or
are considering abusing a child.
- Understand how to talk with someone you know who may be
sexually inappropriate with a child.
- Find out the difference between healthy sexual development
in children and sexually abusive behaviors.
- Talk about what you may be witnessing and help you decide
if you are "over-reacting" to a situation and
what may be your next step.
- Talk you through your next step if you are thinking about
touching a child in a sexual way.
- Learn what kinds of help and treatment are available.
- Get referrals to resources so that everyone in the abusing
situation can get the help they need.
The Stop It Now! Helpline is designed for adults concerned about the inappropriate
sexual behavior of someone around them and those at risk to
perpetrate sexual violence. To report a suspected case of
child sexual abuse, please call Child Protective Services
Hotline at 800-552-7096. The Virginia Family Violence and
Sexual Assault Hotline 800-838-8238 is still the best resource
for victims.
Behaviors
to Watch for When Adults Are With Children Have you
ever seen someone playing with a child and felt uncomfortable
with it? Maybe you thought, "I'm just over-reacting,"
or, "He/She doesn't really mean that." If you are
uncomfortable, but don't see these signs, be sure to trust
your instincts and ask questions. Below is a list of behaviors
that might be cause for concern.
- Do you know an adult or older child who:
- Makes others uncomfortable by ignoring social, emotional
or physical boundaries or limits?
- Refuses to let a child set any of his or her own limits?
Uses teasing or belittling language to keep a child
from setting a limit?
- Insists on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling,
wrestling with or holding a child even when the child
does not want this physical contact or attention?
- Turns to a child for emotional or physical comfort
by sharing personal or private information or activities,
normally shared with adults?
- Frequently points out sexual images or tells dirty
or suggestive jokes with children present?
- Exposes a child to adult sexual interactions without
apparent concern?
- Has secret interactions with teens or children (e.g.
games, sharing drugs, alcohol, or sexual material) or
spends excessive time to emailing, text messaging or
calling children or youth Is overly interested in the
sexuality of a particular child or teen (e.g., talks
repeatedly about the child's developing body or interferes
with normal teen dating)?
- Insists on or manages to spend uninterrupted time
alone with a child?
Seems "too good to be true, i.e. frequently baby
sits different children for free; takes children on
special outings alone; buys children gifts or gives
them money for no apparent reason?
- Frequently walks in on children/teens in the bathroom?
- Allows children or teens to consistently get away
with inappropriate behaviors?
If you answered "yes" to some of these questions,
talk to that person. For more information and guidance about
starting a conversation with someone, please call our confidential,
national, toll-free Helpline (1.888.PREVENT), M-F from 9am
- 6pm EST or visit our website at www.stopitnow.org.
Behavioral
Warning Signs A Child May Have Been Abused
Some of these behavioral signs can show up at other stressful
times in a child's life such as divorce, the death of a family
member, friend or pet, or when there are problems in school,
as well as when abuse is involved. Any one sign doesn't mean
the child was abused, but several of them mean that you should
begin asking questions.
- Do you notice some of the following behaviors in children
you know well?
- Nightmares, trouble sleeping, fear of the dark, or
other sleeping problems.
- Extreme fear of "monsters."
- "Spacing out" at odd times.
- Loss of appetite, or trouble eating or swallowing.
- Sudden mood swings: rage, fear, anger, or withdrawal.
- Fear of certain people or places (e.g., a child may
not want to be left alone with a baby-sitter, a friend,
a relative, or some other child or adult; or a child
who is usually talkative and cheery may become quiet
and distant when around a certain person).
- Stomach illness all of the time with no identifiable
reason.
- An older child behaving like a younger child, such
as bed-wetting or thumbsucking.
- Sexual activities with toys or other children, such
as simulating sex with dolls or asking other children/siblings
to behave sexually.
- New words for private body parts.
- Refusing to talk about a "secret" he/she
has with an adult or older child.
- Talking about a new older friend.
- Suddenly having money.
- Cutting or burning herself or himself as an adolescent.
Additional
Information
- Order printed materials
- Virginia residents may order the Helpline brochure
or the poster to be mailed to a Virginia address. Out
of state residents may download the brochure
or contact Stop It
Now! to request one. Click here for the order
form.
- Download or order resource publications from Stop It Now! such as Let's
Talk: Adults Talking to Adults about Child Sexual Abuse and Do Children Sexually Abuse Other Children? At http://stopitnow.org/pubs.html#prevent
- Websites
- Hotlines
- Stop It Now! 888-PREVENT
- Virginia Family Violence and Sexual Assault Hotline
800-838-8238
- Child Protective Services Hotline at 800-552-7096
- Prevent Child Abuse Virginia 800-CHILDREN
- Virginia Department of Health
- Rebecca K. Odor, Director of Sexual & Domestic
Violence Prevention
804-864-7740
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