About the Training
Georgia Center for Child Advocacy’s Darkness to Light Training
The Training Format
The Darkness to Light Prevention Training is 3 hours and is available in a facilitator-led format as well as online. The training is appropriate for professionals and volunteers in youth-serving organizations such as faith centers, camps, day-cares, sports leagues, clubs, and schools as well as for parents. The training incorporates a video sharing the stories of survivors as well as reports from professionals that deal with the issue regularly in fields such as law enforcement, child protective services, child advocacy, psychology, and education. It emphasizes community interaction and empowers adults to be proactive by including an interactive workbook and group discussion. Training materials include an interactive workbook, “7 Steps to Protecting Our Children” booklet, and a list of local community resources for each participant.
Target Population
The primary target audience for the Prevention Initiative is adults in Georgia. Why should prevention initiatives target adults? The most common form of child sexual abuse prevention programming focuses on teaching children how to identify and react to sexual advances. Though teaching children about their bodies is beneficial, there is no proof that these programs have long-term effectiveness in reducing the rate of child sexual abuse. Further, many professionals question whether it is realistic to place the responsibility for stopping sexual abuse on small children, especially when almost 90% of abusers are family members or acquaintances of the victim.
This Initiative takes a different approach to prevention. The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy and Darkness to Light believe that adults are responsible for the safety of children. Many adults are unable to protect children from sexual abuse because they do not know enough about the problem and they do not know steps they can take to reduce the risk.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the facts of child sexual abuse – incidence rates and effects on children, their families, and society;
- Understand how child sexual abuse happens;
- Understand that adults are responsible for the protection of children;
- Understand the importance of screening staff/volunteers who work with children and adolescents;
- Understand the importance of minimizing one-adult/one-child situations and developing well-conceived policies in youth-serving organizations that support this;
- Be able to recognize the signs of sexual abuse;
- Have resources to react responsibly to incidents of child sexual abuse; and
- Understand the proactive role that communities need to take to protect children and educate others about child sexual abuse.
How can I access the training?
- Attend an in-person training led by an authorized facilitator on the 4th Wednesday of every month (3rd Wednesday November and December due to holidays) at the Georgia Center for Child Advocacy. The cost is $15 per person for materials. Email our prevention staff to register.
- Schedule a training for your group/organization and hire an authorized facilitator to conduct the training.
- Sponsor an individual from your group/organization to become an authorized facilitator who can then train your staff/volunteers and others in the community
- Complete the training in a web-based format including check-in questions and scenarios. The cost is $15 per person.
April 28th – 4:00-7:00pm
May 26th – 8:30-11:30am
June 23rd – 4:00-7:00pm
July 28th – 8:30-11:30am
August 25th – 4:00-7:00pm
September 22nd – 8:30-11:30am
October 27th – 4:00-7:00pm
November 17th – 8:30-11:30am
December 15th – 4:00-7:00pm
