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Prevention 4 Professionals Overview

Welcome to Prevention 4 Professionals (P4P) –

A Resource for Professionals Who Work With Kids

Did you know?

  • That 30-40% of girls and 13% of boys experience sexual abuse by the age of 18?
  • That 30-50% of child sexual abuse is committed by an older child or teen?
  • That it is possible to recognize and respond to unhealthy sexual behaviors that put youth at risk to abuse?
  • That most young people with sexual behavior problems or who commit sexual abuse, especially if recognized and responded to early, do not go on to offend as adults?
  • That being able to clearly recognize age-appropriate healthy and unhealthy sexual behavior in youth can help you in understanding when and how to intervene?
  • That there are many resources available to help you learn more about your role in preventing and addressing sexual behavior problems in children and teens?

"Welcome to the Prevention 4 Professionals Project" with Alisa Klein, Director of NEARI Press and Training Center

What is Prevention 4 Professionals?

P4P is a project designed to help you, professionals who work with youth of all ages, to:

  • Understand the risk and protective factors involved in the development of healthy and unhealthy sexual behaviors in kids
  • Provide you with the information, training, materials, and resources to promote healthy sexual development in the kids with whom you work
  • Offer you the tools you need to identify when a child or adolescent may be displaying sexually problematic behaviors (SPBs) and may be at risk to sexually abuse
  • Help you know how to intervene before any sexual harm is done

Topics covered by the P4P project include: healthy sexual development, consent, sexting, identifying risk factors and promoting protective factors, risk management strategies and procedures, having conversations with parents about the sexual behaviors of their children, and more.

Who is Prevention 4 Professionals for?

P4P is for professionals who work with children and adolescents -- particularly teachers, school counselors, coaches, and other school staff members, as well as pediatric medical professionals.

What kinds of resources does Prevention 4 Professionals offer?

Please look around and explore these webpages! We will continue to expand upon them over the next several months. Resources include but aren’t limited to:

  • Educational videos by top professionals across the country in the fields of psychology, counseling, and sexuality education on a variety of topics to help you promote healthy sexual behavior and identify problematic sexual behaviors in children and teens.
  • An extensive resource list that will provide links to websites, fact sheets, videos, books, curriculum and more on sexual health and abuse prevention among many populations, including youth with disabilities.
  • Slides and recordings of past and present NEARI Press webinars by internationally known presenters which address topics related to this project.
  • Links to available NEARI Press books that might be helpful to youth-serving professionals who want to learn about preventative action, healthy sexuality, and more.
  • One-page information and fact sheets for easy review.
  • Information on finding the right therapist for a child or teen with sexual behavior problems.

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Prevention 4 Professionals is funded by a generous grant from Vision of Hope (VOH), a project of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. VOH supports initiatives and innovative strategies that prevent and respond to child sexual abuse by providing adults and communities with the knowledge and tools to recognize risk factors or signs of abuse and learn to become the interveners and protectors of children. For more information, please visit: https://www.pcar.org/vision-of-hope-fund.

GENERAL RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS

American Academy of Pediatrics

Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA)- International, multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to making society safer by preventing sexual abuse. (Excellent resource!)

Center for Sex Ed- Provides guides for all ages which address topics in sex ed with user-friendly, cost-effective lesson plans addressing puberty, healthy and unhealthy relationships, sexual safety, and more.

Darkness to Light: Non-profit with the goal of empowering adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Website includes videos, training, and many resources.

Futures Without Violence: Addresses many types of violence and how to combat them, including domestic/dating violence, child abuse, bullying, and sexual assault.

Iowa CASA Parents for Prevention: Includes articles on consent, bullying, equality, gender roles, healthy sexuality, self-care and more. Excellent resource!

Media Literacy Now- Links to many materials and curricula about media literacy.

National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY): Many excellent resources!

NCSBY - Adolescent Sex Offenders: Common Misconceptions vs. Current Evidence.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States: Advocacy organization with resources on comprehensive sex education in schools.

Stop It Now!: Many excellent resources for anyone working with youth with sexual behavior problems, including a helpline.