Date/Time
Date(s) - Saturday, June 22, 2019
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location
Council Bluffs Public Library
Categories
Foster and adoptive parents will learn about:
The warning signs of sexual abuse
– A dramatic change in behavior (ex. sudden onset of bed wetting, nightmares, or discipline problems).
– A reluctance to go to a particular place or be with a particular person, even though previous visits have caused no distress.
– Depression, weepiness, refusal to get up in the morning, a bleak outlook.
– Need for more reassurance, loss of or sudden gain in appetite, turning against one parent. Older children may also be involved in truancy, drug abuse, delinquency, or running away.
Properly differentiating normal/common sexual behavior and problematic sexual behavior of children
Indicators that can be identified on an individual, family, or community level:
– Child vulnerabilities: attention deficit disorder, learning delays, reactions to traumatic events, or other factors that hinder a youth’s ability to control impulses and respect other’s boundaries.
– Modeling of sexuality: inadequate information about bodies and sexuality, unhealthy boundaries or few rules about privacy in the home, exposure to adult sexual activity or nudity (including media exposure), or other factors that lead to a sexualized environment.
– Modeling of coercion: exposure to family or community violence, physical abuse, bullying, or other factors that contribute to an environment that models coercion for youth.
– Family adversity: parental depression, substance use, exposure to abuse, or other factors that hinder a family’s ability to provide close supervision.
The importance of child-first language
One of the most important things you can do as a professional is to avoid using shame-based language and labels; not to imply that these behaviors are not serious in nature, but that they are in fact behaviors and do not fully define the child. This shame, in part, prevents parents from seeking help for themselves and their children, and only leads to further risk.
The use of person-first language is a core value in the sexual assault movement as we recognize the strengths of each person and choose not to define individuals solely by their behaviors. Using child-first language also helps others to accurately identify those youth at risk (i.e. a child with behavior problems conjures up a very different image than a child offender), normalize the problem as a behavior, and offer hope to parents and families.
Developing parenting skills
– Rules about sexual behavior and boundaries
– Sexual education
– Abuse prevention skills
– Teaching the child impulse-control strategies
This training has been approved for 3 hours of foster parent training credit.
Instructor: Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, RSafe Therapists
What is RSafe®? Trauma treatment and therapeutic support for children and families impacted by child sexual abuse. Studies prove that, without treatment, child sexual assault victims often have a shorter life span due to the emotional, physical, and mental effects of their abuse. These effects include post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal tendencies, and the inability to form intimate relationships in adulthood. Without treatment, some children grow up making sexual decisions that are unhealthy for themselves, and others. Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska’s nationally recognized RSafe® program breaks this cycle of sexual abuse. By providing a one-of-a-kind continuum of care to families who are healing from sexual abuse. Through individual, family, and group counseling, each member of the family explores their reaction to the abuse and what they can do to prevent future trauma. A safety/supervision plan is created and therapists hold each member accountable to ensure that they are actively involved in the healing process. RSafe® doesn’t just serve the victims and their families…it also serves children with problematic sexual behaviors, and adults with sexual misconduct. Breaking the cycle of sexual abuse begins and ends with treating those who are responsible for the abusive behavior. With treatment, repeat offenses drop dramatically. The RSafe® program has experienced great success, with a less than 1% recidivism rate for those involved in the program.
RSVP/Registration:
Please print and fill out this certificate and bring it to the training. Have your caseworker and training facilitator sign the form to ensure you receive the CEUs available. Always notify your caseworker or recruiter of your intention to attend any of the training or support group events on this calendar. Acceptable proof would also include the signature of the trainer on either training materials or notes that includes the title and date of the training.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.