A Thought for Empowering Children
Im becoming quite vocal on the topic of childhood sexual abuse. I have been wearing a wristband since early February that says, Break the Silence. This wristband has been quite a conversation starter. A friend of mine and I bought a hundred wristbands and I have been giving them away to others who are interested in also speaking out against CSA and other forms of sexual abuse.
One of the nurses I work with asked me if she could have one and of course I was glad to give it to her. The next day, I saw her seven-year-old granddaughter wearing it around her ankle. I must tell you here that this little girl is herself a survivor of CSA. Anyway, she came to me and showed me the band on her ankle and said. Darrel, it is too big and fell off my hand all the time so I put it on my foot. But if those guys come back, they will know that I will tell.
I must tell you that I was quite surprised. I had never thought of using wristbands in that way. I asked the little girls grandmother about it and she said that all she had done was to tell her what the band was for and that her granddaughter had come up with the idea of using it to warn would be perps all on her own.
So anyway, the grandmother and I talked quite a bit today and came up with the idea of child sized wristbands that say something like I will tell, or I keep no secrets.
As a society, we have been trying to teach kids for years how to protect themselves from would be perps. Dont talk to strangers; dont accept candy from strangers; bla bla bla. What would be wrong with teaching children that we expect them to tell? Do you think that giving them a wristband would let a child know that they would be believed if they told? Do you think a perp would think again before he or she touched a child wearing such a wristband?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Love ya.
Darrel
One of the nurses I work with asked me if she could have one and of course I was glad to give it to her. The next day, I saw her seven-year-old granddaughter wearing it around her ankle. I must tell you here that this little girl is herself a survivor of CSA. Anyway, she came to me and showed me the band on her ankle and said. Darrel, it is too big and fell off my hand all the time so I put it on my foot. But if those guys come back, they will know that I will tell.
I must tell you that I was quite surprised. I had never thought of using wristbands in that way. I asked the little girls grandmother about it and she said that all she had done was to tell her what the band was for and that her granddaughter had come up with the idea of using it to warn would be perps all on her own.
So anyway, the grandmother and I talked quite a bit today and came up with the idea of child sized wristbands that say something like I will tell, or I keep no secrets.
As a society, we have been trying to teach kids for years how to protect themselves from would be perps. Dont talk to strangers; dont accept candy from strangers; bla bla bla. What would be wrong with teaching children that we expect them to tell? Do you think that giving them a wristband would let a child know that they would be believed if they told? Do you think a perp would think again before he or she touched a child wearing such a wristband?
Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Love ya.
Darrel
