Sexual-abuse education moves to younger class

Education about sexual harassment and abuse helps kids.
By SARAH WEBER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
Though many parents think it could never happen to their children, sexual abuse is an unfortunate reality for many young people.
Detective Sgt. Delphine Baldwin-Casey of the Youngstown Police Department has made sexual-harassment-and-abuse education a top priority with the help of Youngstown city schools.
"The earlier you honestly talk to your kids and educate them, the better," said Wendy Webb, Youngstown superintendent. "Kids are bombarded with sexual imagery. No matter how hard you try ... to protect your kids, this is an information age, and they have access."
Baldwin-Casey started the sexual harassment education program in city high schools in 2003, but after hearing from her students that the program should be started at a younger age, Baldwin-Casey tailored a program for younger pupils. This year, Baldwin-Casey instructed fifth- and sixth-grade pupils whose parents signed a permission slip.
"If it's happening to younger kids, why are we waiting until high school to talk to them?" Baldwin-Casey asked.
Start early
Ellen Taylor, program director of the Mahoning County Family Service Agency Rape and Information Counseling, agreed that the earlier kids can start learning about boundaries, the better.
"When you start educating seniors in high school, it's way too late," Taylor said. "Children are getting sexually active at a younger and younger age."
Baldwin-Casey said that she tries to make the program age-appropriate. In the younger classes, she teaches the difference between good touching and bad touching, the forms of sexual harassment and how to tell someone no. She discusses date rape in the older classes.
One thing that especially troubles Baldwin-Casey is the many misconceptions surrounding the sexual abuse and harassment issue.
Contrary to common belief, the majority of abuse and harassment cases come from people the victim knows, and the majority of the victims are young. Taylor said that the ages of the victims she counsels at the Family Service Agency have decreased since she joined the program in 1992.
"We mostly had adults then," Taylor said. "Now we have teens and young adults."
Important information
Baldwin-Casey said that the "danger zone" for sexual abuse is between ages 4 and 12. She also said that about 60 percent of perpetrators are acquaintances and 30 percent are relatives.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't love or trust relatives, but my point is that if anyone touches you inappropriately, it's wrong," Baldwin-Casey said.
She said another misconception is that boys aren't in danger of being abused.
"Most perpetrators are men, but victims can be boys are girls," Baldwin-Casey said. She said that because abuse of boys is rarely discussed, boys are more likely to keep their bad experiences to themselves. She gave the example of a young boy in one of her classes asking, "Are boys supposed to feel the same way about abuse as girls?"
Baldwin-Casey said that though her instruction time is a good opportunity for children to talk about their concerns, many times it's not until victims start showing behavioral changes that a problem gets noticed.
What to look for
"Children that are abused will absolutely start acting differently," Baldwin-Casey said. "Children may become withdrawn or be sexually inappropriate for their age toward adults and other children."
She said one family she worked with had a 4-year-old girl who would try to unzip her father's pants. It was later discovered that the behavior was learned from a male baby-sitter who was abusing the child.
"I like the idea of educating kids at 4 years old," said Baldwin-Casey. "They know the private parts; they can understand inappropriate touching."
Though Youngstown schools have taken the initiative to address the problem, Baldwin-Casey and Taylor agree that it's up to parents to take the first step in teaching their children how to avoid abuse.
"Lack of knowledge isn't going to protect anyone," Taylor said. "Sexual assault numbers are down nationwide. We hope that's because of rising awareness."
For more information, call the Family Service Agency at (330) 782-5664 or to talk about a concern, call (330) 782-3936.