YMCA Marks Child Abuse Prevention Month With 5 Days Of Action   Low Moor, VA (April 9, 2024) - The Alleghany Highlands YMCA is marking Child Abuse Prevention Month in April with Five Days of Action, April 15-19. Five Days of Action focuses on preventing child sexual abuse by sharing tips on how adults can recognize and prevent this heinous form of abuse. During April and throughout the year, the Alleghany Highlands YMCA encourages adults and organizations in the community to play a vital role in making the Alleghany Highlands a safer place for children. The Five Days of Action theme continues as “Know. See. Respond.” an initiative aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. Adults are also urged to sign a pledge indicating they are willing to take action and protect children from sexual abuse. KNOW: Knowing the facts about child sexual abuse can help adults better understand what to look for and how to prevent it. As parents, caregivers and trusted adults to the young people in our lives, we play an important role in protecting them from abuse. Learn more about the different types of abuse, the signs and how you can help at childhelphotline.org. SEE: Media and technology are at the center of children’s lives every day. With more of life happening online, what catches their attention isn’t always what’s best for them. As a parent or caregiver, you may see your child interacting with media daily, and you can be equipped with the tools and resources to make sure any environment (including online) is free from any abuse. Learn more at commonsensemedia.org/articles/online-safety. RESPOND: How can you respond to the call to help prevent child sexual abuse? As a parent or caregiver, you may know it’s important to talk about it, but you may not know what or when to say it. The Committee for Children has created the Hot Chocolate Talk campaign, packing decades of research into easy-to-use guides to help you begin these crucial conversations at any age, from toddler to teen. Visit cfchildren.org/resources/child-abuse prevention/ to learn more and empower your child to report and refuse sexual abuse. “Protecting children from sexual abuse must be a top priority of every person who cares about the health and well-being of kids,” said Alleghany Highlands YMCA Executive Director and President Bobbie Wagner. “Working collectively, we can stand up and demand that children are protected. No child should be a victim of sexual abuse.” The Alleghany Highlands YMCA and the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, with support from YMCA of the USA, Darkness to Light, the Redwoods Group Foundation and Praesidium, have made materials available to help adults learn more about preventing child sexual abuse. For more information about preventing child sexual abuse visit www.fivedaysofaction.org. CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE STATISTICS – PROVIDED BY DARKNESS TO LIGHT Signs that a child is being sexually abused are often present, but they can be indistinguishable from other signs of child stress, distress or trauma. Knowing what to look for can help. Signs of child sexual abuse can be physical and/or emotional, with physical signs being less common. Emotional signs can range from “too perfect” behavior to withdrawal, depression or unexplained anger. It’s important to remember that some children may show no signs at all. There is also red flag behaviors you can identify if you know what to look for to help intervene in the grooming process. Emotional and behavioral signs or changes are more common than physical signs and can include: • Anxiety and depression. • Sleep disturbances, including nightmares or night terrors. • Change in eating habits. • Unusual fear of certain people or places; reluctance to be alone with a certain person. • Changes in mood that could include anger, aggressiveness toward parents, siblings, friends, pets. • Rebellion or withdrawal; runaway behavior. • Change in attitude toward school or academic performance; lack of interest in friends, sports or other activities. • Unexplained or frequent health problems like headaches or stomach aches. • Poor self-esteem; avoidance of relationships. • Self-mutilation or change in body perception, like thinking of self or body as dirty or bad; suicidal thoughts. • Regression to previously outgrown behaviors; for example: bedwetting or thumb sucking. • Abnormal sexual behaviors or knowledge of advanced sexual language and behaviors. • Too “perfect” behavior or overly compliant behavior. Children’s Advocacy Centers provide trauma-sensitive, child-friendly, safe places for families to seek help. To find a center, contact the National Children’s Alliance or call 1-800-239-9950. You can also call Child Protective Services or law enforcement. WHAT TO DO IF YOU BELIEVE A CHILD IS BEING ABUSED - PROVIDED BY DARKNESS TO LIGHT • You do not need to have proof that abuse is occurring to make a report, only reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion means that you have witnessed maltreatment or boundary violations, either in the child or adult, or both. Or, you have received a disclosure from a child about abuse, neglect or boundary violations toward them. • Child sexual abuse reports should be made to the police and/or state child protective services. • Contact the Darkness to Light Helpline at 866-FOR-LIGHT or text LIGHT to 741741 to have questions answered by trained counselors at no charge. ABOUT THE YMCA Founded in 1844, the YMCA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all. ABOUT THE ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS YMCA Since its inception in 1993, the Alleghany Highlands YMCA has provided a wide variety of youth, family and senior citizen programs with expanded membership and services into all of the Alleghany Highlands communities. For more information on any YMCA programs, please call (540) 962-9622.

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