I'M A SAFETY KID PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

The Safety kids program has been helping children prevent victimization since 1998. We are just one of many organizations doing our part to save the most valuable resource; our children. The ultimate goal is to begin prevention education at a young age and to foster those skills through adulthood.

SafetyKids works hard to diligently provide our youth one of the most effective programs available. In order for us to do that, we must ensure that the curriculum developed is comprehensive and meets national standards.

HISTORY OF SAFETY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

Over the years, educational programs on personal safety for children have evolved from "Don't talk to strangers" to comprehensive programs that are a part of school curricula. Largely as a result of wide reporting in the media of cases of child abductions and child abuse data in the 1980s, the public became more aware of child victimization. This heightened public awareness led to a rapid increase in the number of programs created and implemented to reduce the victimization of children. Because these programs evolved so rapidly and changed so often, it is difficult to measure positive changes in the behavior of the children who participated in these programs.

ABDUCTION AND VICTIMIZATION STATISTICS

We are not going to overwhelm or scare you with abduction stories or the number of mission children. The Internet is full of information about child victimization and the NCMEC Report is available for download at the end of the page which contains useful data. Bottom line, we all know the risks!

WHAT IS AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM?

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) does not endorse specific products or programs; however, they under-took a comprehensive process to develop guidelines for educational programs in the hope that educators and parents will use these criteria to review proposed programs. These guidelines are not legal standards, and they are not community-specific. They can, however, provide a framework for communities when selecting safety programs and making curriculum decisions.

• To enhance a child's ability to avoid victimization
• To enhance a child's self-esteem
• To reduce the feelings of guilt and blame that often are associated with victimization
• To promote disclosure of abuse and victimization
• To enhance and coordinate community response
• To enhance communication between parents and children about personal safety
• To reinforce adult supervision and protection
• To deter offender behavior

GUIDELINES FOR PROGRAMS TO REDUCE CHILD VICTIMIZATION

To evaluate safety programs, NCMEC developed this scorecard to help you "grade" pro-grams that you are considering. The scorecard should also be used annually to evaluate those programs that are currently used in your community. Remember, safety programs need to be both comprehensive and effective to best serve the needs of children and the entire community. It is important that the program you choose meet as many of the criteria listed below as possible, and the criteria listed in the "SKILLS" section of this "Curriculum Scorecard" are especially critical.

DOWNLOAD: Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Child Victimization