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Dear John,
Despite the unique events of 2020, MassKids continues to make great strides to prevent child abuse through education, training, prevention policy work and legislative advocacy. We are motivated by the children for whom the experience of staying at home has not meant being safe at home.
Reports by minors to sexual assault lines are at an all time high, and online child sexual exploitation has law enforcement, public health and children's advocates calling it "a pandemic within a pandemic." During this time, we remain positive, mission-driven and outcome-focused. We need YOU to join with us and support our work now so together we can keep more children safe. Here are highlights of current efforts.
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Enough! Course for Schools Reaches over 7,000 Employees |
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A grant to MassKids from Theodore Edson Parker Foundation is supporting the training of 1,500 employees in Lowell, MA's 28 public schools using our e-learning course - "Enough! Preventing Child Sexual Abuse in My School."
Over 100 schools in six states have now adopted the course.
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Enough Abuse Maine, a collaboration of York County citizens, York Police and York Hospital, has raised funds to underwrite the course in the five school districts serving the 23 schools of Sanford, the Berwicks, Eliot, Lebanon, Kittery and York. Over 2,000 administrators, teachers and other staff are currently being trained. Read more about this effort in Seacoast Online.
School leaders interested in considering the Enough! training for their district can click here to request a free preview.
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Training School Nurses About Child Sexual Abuse Prevention |
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School nurses are crucial allies in the fight to prevent child sexual abuse. That is why in January, MassKids Executive Director, Jetta Bernier presented at three Regional School Nurse Managers Meetings and trained nearly 200 school nurses about child sexual abuse and how to strengthen school policies to keep kids safe. |
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MassKids also provided training to nearly 300 school nurses, psychologists, educators and administrators from 26 states during the virtual November 3rd Voting Day Conference hosted by Northeastern University's School Health Academy.
The Massachusetts School Nurse Organization and the MA Association of School Superintendents are partnering with MassKids to distribute 5,000 of our Student Safety Posters to schools. so that students know how to reach out for help if they feel unsafe or experience abuse. These posters are also available electronically as an 8.5x11" flyer for posting on school websites.
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University Groups Embrace the Pledge to Prevent™ |
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Over 1,300 people have taken the Pledge to Prevent™- MassKids' unique online action campaign that gives everyone a tangible way to prevent child sexual abuse in their homes and communities. Tufts 180 Degrees Consulting group hosted a campus Pledge Day last fall, gathering over 100 pledges; they created a "How To Guide" for other college groups to follow.
This year, Kappa Delta Sororities at BU and Northeastern, and Columbia University, Harvard, and
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M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management are also partnering with MassKids to promote the Pledge and to support our other prevention initiatives. |
Choose one of 25 specific actions you can take to prevent child sexual abuse. YOU can stop the hurt, before it starts! |
Youth Serving Organization Leaders: Preview Our Online Course |
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YSO leaders can preview the course for free and consider adopting it for their organizations. While the problem of child sexual abuse is disturbing, the course is positive and hopeful in tone and approach. It makes it clear that YSOs that build their knowledge and strengthen their child safety practices, reduce legal liabilities, and enhance their leadership and reputation in the community as safe havens where children can learn, thrive, and succeed. |
Enough Abuse Campaign Reaches Thousands in West Africa |
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As part of our commitment to prevent child sexual abuse wherever we can, MassKids has provided our Enough Abuse training and assistance at no charge to support prevention efforts in Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Enough Abuse Sierra Leone, led by Student Parliament/Sierra Leone in partnership with Save the Children and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Social Welfare, will begin on site trainings (adhering to public health safety precautions) to schools and community leaders in 50 districts. This will be the first opportunity to promote the country's new 116 Child Abuse Reporting line.
Enough Abuse Nigeria, led by Suburban Healthcare pediatrician Dr. Bukola Ogunkua, has received approval from the Nigerian government to provide Enough Abuse and ACES trainings to 30,000 teachers in Lagos State. Initial trainings delivered through 2-hour webinars began this month and will continue through 2021. Pre- and post-test data will be gathered and select teachers will participate in follow up mentoring sessions over 8 hours so they can then provide the trainings to other school staff.
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Thank you for reading about our recent efforts. Please check out our donation page and learn 6 Ways You Can Give. |
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As you shop on Black Friday and throughout the Holiday season, shop through Amazon Smile and they will donate a percentage of your purchase to MassKids! Shop from this link to save us as your charity of choice, or go to smile.amazon.com and choose Massachusetts Citizens for Children from the list of charities. |
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