Be Safe: Prevention Resources for Professionals

Listen and Observe

• Listen to what children tell you, especially if they seem uncomfortable
• Be aware of any changes in behavior or emotions
• Pay attention to any increases in self-stimulating, self-injurious, or repetitive behaviors, or development of new behaviors

Discuss Feelings

• Assess child’s ability to identify and label feelings.Use photos/pictures or icons when needed
• Practice labeling feelings in different situations and telling adults about feelings. Use photos/pictures or icons when needed

Touches

• Talk about “okay” and “not okay” touches
• Okay touches: high five with friends, goodnight kiss or hug from parents
• Not okay touches:hitting, pulling hair, or touching private parts

Safety Planning

• Talk about what to do in uncomfortable, hurtful, or dangerous situations: leave the situation, ignore comments, yell for help, tell the person to stop, say no, tell a trusted adult
• Name adults who the child can ask for help in various settings
• Have a concrete plan in place for what to do and how to tell someone if they feel uncomfortable and ROLE PLAY and practice talking to trusted adults

Rights

• Talk to children about their rights, including the right to be safe
• Explain that parents, teachers, and other adults make choices for children, but children can also make choices to keep themselves safe
• Provide opportunities every day for children to make choices
• Allow children to be independent

Modeling

• Use positive discipline
• Do not shame or make children feel bad about themselves

Support

• If a child has been abused, learn about counseling options for the child and family

Personal Care

• Make sure that the bathroom is private and that the child is comfortable with the adult that is responsible for hygiene by asking them first
• Before helping child use the toilet or clean themselves, tell them what you are doing and ask permission

Communication

• If child is nonverbal – decide on words and symbols to communicate personal safety
• Provide a whistle or alarm device to signal emergencies

Internet

• Have conversations about what is safe to share and what is not
• Learn about cyber safety
• Make sure safety features are activated on children’s devices

Secrets

• Define what a secret is: Someone tells you something and says not to tell anyone else
• Explain that secrets can sometimes hurt people
• Tell a trusted adult if someone tells them to keep a secret or says they will hurt them if they tell anyone their secret

Teach that Everyone Deserves to be Treated Well

• People can say no when they don’t want something to happen
• Make sure everyone has a trusted person they can talk to

Goal Setting

• Help write down goals, develop objectives, and track progress. Target goals for building relationships, self-esteem, and life goals.

Teach Problem Solving Skills For Relationships

• Teach social skills to address problems like conflict resolution and saying “no”
• Practice identifying alternative solutions to problems

Encourage Decision-Making

• Practice making choices in different settings so they are able to leave a situation that feels uncomfortable or crosses sexual boundaries
• Practice clear communication so they are comfortable communicating if they don’t approve of an activity or action

Teach About Different Types of Relationships

• Give examples of similar and different relationships and what makes them healthy
• Teach about relationships with different people – strangers, acquaintances, service providers, family members, etc

Promote Self-Advocacy

• Teach listening skills and assertiveness
• Provide education on rights and community resources that build self-esteem and autonomy

Promote Self-Awareness and Self-Understanding

• Identify ways to meet physical and psychological needs
• Understand and accept individual differences
• Identify strategies for dealing with stress and frustration

Tips when screening for abuse

• Research suggests that computer-assisted screening may work best for individuals with autism or developmental delays.
• Ask questions in a private area to promote safety and confidentiality.
• Use open ended questions and allow the person time to process and respond.
• When screening, it’s important to screen for all types of abuse, as when someone is experiencing one type of abuse – it’s likely they may also be experiencing other types.
• Avoid asking leading questions, allow the person to share in their own words what happened.
• The Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) is considered the “gold standard” to screen for abuse. This is a self-report tool that screens for potentially traumatic events. While typically administered in a paper and pencil format, it can be entered into a computer for individuals to report electronically.

If you suspect someone may have been abused, some potential screening questions may include:

• Has anyone ever touched your private parts when you did not want them to?
• Has anyone in your home ever hit, punched or slapped you?
• Do you get enough to eat and drink in your home?
• Does anyone ever call you names or threaten to hurt you?