The Sexual Assault Crisis Center-Fox Cities is teaching adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through its three-year initiative, KNOW More to Protect Children.

The program uses the only primary prevention program for adults, Darkness to Light-Stewards of Children. The curriculum encourages every community to achieve what author Malcolm Gladwell calls “the tipping point” in his book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.”

Amy Flanders, Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Center

“KNOW More to Protect Children is premised on Darkness to Light’s nationwide movement to achieve the tipping point of educating 5% of the adult population in the only evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention education training that is used across the nation,” said Amy Flanders, Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Center- Fox Cities.

The training offers five steps to protecting children:

1. Learn the facts. One in 10 children is sexually abused.
2. Minimize opportunity. Eliminate or reduce isolated, one-on-one situations to decrease risk for abuse.
3. Talk about it. Have open conversations with children.
4. Recognize the signs. Know the signs of abuse to protect children from further harm.
5. React responsibility. Understand how to respond to risky behaviors, suspicions or reports of sexual abuse.

Thanks to the support from the Community Foundation, the SACC will provide a base for widespread change.

“The two-year, $20,000 Bright Idea Fund grant from within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region will help us train community members who will then deliver the program to adults throughout the Fox Cities,” Flanders said.

The SACC is looking for adults to become certified “Darkness to Light” facilitators. A day-long, local training session is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 11. Materials, meals and beverages will be provided.

“Each facilitator is asked to educate 80 adults annually to reach the tipping point of educating 8,255 adults by 2021,” Flanders said.

When adults know the warning signs of child sexual abuse and how to respond, more children are protected from victimization, she said.

To complete the online application to be a Darkness to Light facilitator, go to knowmore.saccfoxcities.org, or call Helen Kobussen at the Fox Cities Sexual Assault Crisis Center at (920) 733-8119 for more information.

You can make the Bright Ideas burn even brighter by adding your support.

Check out our current Bright Idea Fund results from 2018 – 2019!
See how our Bright Idea fund impacted our community last year.