What we do today matters for children’s safety tomorrow
April begins Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This month is different from any we have experienced before, and Stop It Now!’s services may be more vital than ever during this time of isolation and anxiety.
In so many ways, our worries about children’s safety have increased. We worry about their increased time online. We worry about children’s behaviors towards others as their regular supports – educational, physical, and emotional – are less available to them. We worry about youth and adults who are struggling with their own unwanted sexual thoughts and behaviors, and who may become more at risk to cross boundaries as they become more anxious and isolated, and. And we just worry about all the families, who under stress and with limited supports, are managing so many needs and feelings.
We know that parents are doing everything they can to keep their children safe and to support the safety planning that is already engaged. We want to support families by highlighting the importance of accountability and responsibility for all adults during this time.
As we work to help children stay out of harm’s way, we can also speak up when we know about adults or youth who are at risk for causing harm.
For people who themselves may be struggling with safe boundaries and behaviors, and whose own disrupted schedules and structures contribute to their sense of control and regulation,
we are available to help
you. Our free, confidential Helpline was created to help you plan for safety and find resources that support you in your commitment to safety. We’ve talked, chatted and emailed with thousands of people in your shoes, and we're here for you, too.
For adults who know an adult or child who are struggling with safe boundaries and behaviors, maybe who is showing warning signs of at-risk behaviors,
we’re here to help you speak up safely and compassionately to that person
– to offer help and to work together on safety.
We hope you’ll join us in strengthening our skills and confidence in the conversations we have with ourselves about our own behaviors and those conversations you have with others.
We invite you to begin learning more by taking a look at the following Tip Sheets: