Circles of Safety: Awareness to Action for Youth-Serving Professionals

Training description

Circles of Safety teaches and supports all adults to understand and respond to both children’s sexual behaviors and adult behaviors that put children at risk for sexual harm. Bringing both the research and facts and the personal stories and experiences from Stop It Now!’s Helpline and public education activities, Circles of Safety is designed to help adults in youth-serving organizations not only learn about the scope of sexual abuse and prevention strategies, but to feel confident, comfortable, and empowered to take action steps to keep children safe from sexual harm. Sexual abuse thrives in secrecy and the unknown. By learning about healthy sexuality, the warning signs of potentially harmful and abusive sexual behaviors, and safety planning and responding to warning signs participants will be better prepared to know when to act and how to address risks of sexual abuse and harm.

Through the lens of primary prevention this training provides factual information and a shared language. These foundations promote informed approaches to both create healthy and safe environments for youth and to recognize and respond in situations where prevention tools are needed before a child is harmed or there’s an offender to punish.

Participants are trained in how to take active roles in prevention. This online learning format is a combination of lecture, discussion, activities, personal reflections, and role plays designed to maximize participation and engagement. Homework questions are given so that each participant can start to think about their personal experiences through a prevention lens. Through case examples and stories from our helpline participants learn about the continuum of prevention – when to act proactively and when they need to respond to warning signs and possible abuse.

Stop It Now! prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed.

We provide support, information and resources to keep children safe and create healthier communities. Since 1992, we have identified, refined and shared effective ways for individuals, families and communities to act to prevent child sexual abuse before children are harmed – and to get help for everyone involved.