| Body Rights: A Duso Approach
According to the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse, every
year in the United States 45,000 – 500,000 children are sexually abused.
Teaching young children to protect themselves from sexual abuse is as
important as teaching them to protect themselves from fire, automobile
accidents, and poisoning.
I meet with each 2nd grade class once a week for four weeks to present the
program “Body Rights: A Duso Approach”. The goals of the Body Rights
curriculum are for the children to:
•Know the differences between good and bad touching.
•Realize they have a right to privacy.
•Feel comfortable saying no to authority figures when appropriate.
•Know general safety rules for potentially abusive situations.
*Understand the importance of not keeping secrets from their parents.
•Know how to effectively seek assistance from an adult.
•Realize adults are wrong if they trick or threaten children.
•Realize that they do not have the right to abuse or exploit others.
The following summaries are sent home after each session so that parents
can reinforce lessons at home:
Session 1
Today at school we talked about good and bad touching. We also talked about
children telling an adult when they have a problem.
To reinforce these lessons, you might ask your child to tell you the
meaning of good touching or bad touching. Discuss family rules about hitting
or other “bad touches”. Encourage your child to identify the adults that she
or he could talk with about a problem; adults your child sees as a support
person. These people may include a grandparent, aunt, teacher, etc.
Session 2
Today at school we talked about safety rules and the importance of
not keeping bad secrets from your parents.
Each child finished coloring sheets for these safety rules:
•Say no in a big voice
•Get away to a safe place
•Tell a grown up who can help
You may want to ask your child to explain these rules to you.
Ask your child to give you an example of a bad secret. Good surprises are
different from bad secrets because others will be happy about them. No one
will be hurt or frightened by a good surprise. Talking about examples of bad
secrets and good surprises will help your child understand these ideas.
Session 3
Today at school, we talked about times when it’s important for children to
ask an adult for help with a problem. We discussed the difference between
tattling just to get another person in trouble, and telling an adult when
someone older is bullying or doing something dangerous.
You may want to talk about times when you help each other in your family,
and let your child know that you want them to come to you when they need
help with a problem.
Session 4
Today we read a story about a girl named Nikki who solved a problem by
telling a grown up about it and getting help. Then we played the “What If”
game and children talked about what they would do in different situations to
keep themselves safe.
To help your child understand that what she or he does can make a
difference, you might ask your child what would be the best thing to do in
the following situations:
“What if someone you didn’t know came to the playground and told you I
was very sick and you should get in her (his) car so she (he) could
take you home to me? What would you do? Whom would you tell?” (I would
say no and tell the teacher, sitter, or playground director.)
It is essential to teach your children that you’ve told only certain people
to pick them up, even in an emergency. Authorize people your child knows
well, and be sure your child knows who the people are.
“What if the babysitter said she would let you stay up late if you
would keep a secret and not tell us her friend came over? What would
you do? Whom would you tell?" (I would say no and tell you, or I would
not keep a secret.)
Some children are too frightened to say no but will tell you what happened
when you return home. Make it clear that not keeping the secret is more
important than standing up to the person asking them to keep the secret.
This concludes the Body Rights program. Please do not hesitate to email me
if you should have any questions. | |
