Know the Facts
We pledge to protect the children we serve—and we hope you will, too. Knowing about child sexual abuse can help us better understand what to look for and how to keep it from happening in the first place…
One in ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser. 60% of child sexual abuse victims never tell anyone. These statistics (provided by Darkness to Light) are staggering and hard to read.
Let’s prevent it together. Learn the facts and how you can keep kids safe at Child Sexual Abuse Statistics – Darkness to Light (d2l.org).
Working Together For Safety
TALK to your child about his or her experiences in school, in sports, in YMCA programs, and in any other activities.
DROP IN on your child’s programs.
TRUST your instincts. Don’t wait to tell us if something seems “strange.” Speak up!
WATCH for warning signs of abuse: • Unexplained bruising or other physical markings • Disturbed sleeping or eating patterns • Abrupt changes in behavior-anxiety, clinging, aggressiveness, withdrawal, depression • Fear of a certain person or place • Discomfort with physical contact • A child who abuses other children
LISTEN AND WATCH for signs of your child receiving special attention that other children or teens are not receiving. This may include favors, treats, gifts, rides, increasing affection or time alone, particularly outside the activities of school, childcare, or other activities.
ASK your child these questions: • Is anyone scaring or threatening you? • Is anyone asking you to keep secrets? • Has anyone said anything to you to make you feel bad? • Is anyone touching you in a way that you don’t like?
Care You Can Count On – Safety Child Protection Policies
Our YMCA’s first steps to safety focus on screening and hiring, training/education, supervision as well as performance management and feedback systems.
To keep children in our programs safe we take the following steps in our intensive screening of staff and volunteers:
- Detailed application forms
- Comprehensive interview process
- Detailed reference checks
- Criminal background and sex offender record checks
- Internet searches
- Social Security traces
All staff members complete a child abuse prevention training program within their first 30 days of employment. All staff members and volunteers are mandatory reporters of any suspicion of child abuse in accordance with NJ State Law*. All staff members and volunteers receive and sign an actionable code of conduct.
Comprehensive Child Protection policies are in place and enforced to ensure staff & volunteers are never alone with a child. In addition, we ensure that staff & volunteers do not develop relationships with children outside of our facilities and programs. Staff & volunteers are prohibited from being one-on-one with a child outside of the YMCA (i.e. babysitting). Parents are encouraged to express concerns to staff members in charge or a Program Director. All interactions with adults and children at our Y are designed to be observable and interruptible.
If you have any concerns about how your child is being treated in any YMCA program at The Gateway Family YMCA, please contact the Branch Executive Director.
- One in ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday.
- 90% of child sexual abuse victims know their abuser.
- Approximately 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members.
- 60% of child sexual abuse victims never tell anyone.
- False reports are rare. Research shows that only 4 to 8% of child sexual abuse reports are fabricated.
Statistics provide by Darkness to Light.
- You do not need to have proof that abuse is occurring to make a report, only reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion means that you have witnessed maltreatment or boundary violations, either in the child or adult, or both. Or, you have received a disclosure from a child about abuse, neglect, or boundary violations towards them.
- Child sexual abuse reports should be made to the police and/or state child protective services.
- Contact the Darkness to Light Helpline at 866-FOR-LIGHT or text LIGHT to 741741 to have questions answered by trained counselors at no charge.
Provided by Darkness to Light.
Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction. Darkness to Light’s flagship program, Stewards of Children®, is an evidence-informed, award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. More than 1.9 million adults have been trained using Darkness to Light trainings. For more information, visit www.D2L.org.
*For reporting suspected child abuse or neglect in New Jersey call the Department of Children and Families: 1-877-NJ-ABUSE (877-652-2873) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or any Law Enforcement Agency at 911. You are not required to provide proof. Anyone who makes a good faith report based on reasonable grounds is immune from prosecution.