Bad Touches/ Private Zone:

Tell children that we would hope that all adults and bigger kids would care about and protect children but, as we saw in The Story of The Little Child, some don't. Some may touch children in ways that are not just uncomfortable but hurt, or feel bad or strange. These are bad touches. Brainstorm bad touches (i.e., pinches, hitting, scratching). Say people who give bad touches and hurt others are called abusers. It is against the law to abuse children. Review private zone from the movie as those parts of your body covered by a bathing suit. Show pictures of children in bathing suits. Remind students that the friend's big brother touched The Little Child's private zone. Tell the children that if anyone wants to look at or touch parts of their private zone they will get an "Uh Oh" feeling and those touches are bad touches. Say, "If someone wants to show you or have you touch their private zone, it's a bad touch. If someone tells you to keep the touches secret, it's bad."

Say, "When you are very young, your parents may touch your private zone when changing your diapers or giving you a bath. If you go to the doctor for a check-up, the doctor might touch your private zone too. These are not bad touches. These are not secret touches. These touches are to keep you clean and healthy and to make sure you are okay."

Tell children they could try to say "Stop I feel uncomfortable" or "I don't like that!" if they think someone they know is going to hurt them because that might stop the abuse.

Be sure to emphasize that if the child is too scared or doesn't have time to say anything or if s/he does and the abuse still occurs it is still never the child's fault. Always emphasis to tell a trusted adult. Tell the children that if anyone gives them any kind of a bad touch, they need to remember three things. Refer to Chart A.

Say, "Sometimes you might not be sure if a touch is bad or not. This is called a confusing touch, but most often when you are not sure about a touch, it's a bad touch."

People who give bad touches may tell you to keep it a secret. They usually want you to keep it a secret from your trusted adult forever and this should give you "Uh Oh" or bad feelings about the person and the touches. This kind of secret is very different from the happy secrets we talked about yesterday. You have to share sad secrets with a trusted adult so they can help you. If you keep a sad secret in your heart, it just makes you sadder and sadder until you get help. An abuser may tell you that something bad may happen to a person or a pet that you love if you tell (to scare you). The abuser may also tell you that he will hurt you if you tell. Don't worry about that. Sometimes abusers will tell you that no one will believe you if you tell about the abuse. Don't believe the abuser! You can always find someone to believe you. Refer to Chart A.

Say, "Remember you must tell a trusted adult about things that give you an "Uh Oh" or bad feeling. If your trusted adult is too busy to listen or doesn't believe you, choose another trusted adult and tell him/her." Tell children to keep telling until someone listens to, believes, and helps them.

Have children role play. Have one child choose a friend to join him or her at the front of the room and designate which of his or her trusted adults the friend is to play. During this role play encourage the children to choose as many different trusted adults as possible (i.e., police officers, ministers, school nurse, principal, relatives, etc.) The child then goes to the friend and says, for example, "Mommy, somebody gave me an 'Uh Oh' or bad (which ever feeling the child chooses) feeling." Mommy says, "I think you are being silly." Have the child come to you and repeat his or her concern. You should say "I believe you. Are you Okay? Tell me more about what happened and I will help you." Go through this one more time so children recognize the type of thing a trusted adult should say. Next have the "victim" choose two friends and repeat the activity only this time the second friend is the trusted adult who helps. That "trusted adult" should say the things you have just modeled a trusted adult as saying when abuse is disclosed.

Sing "I Belong to Me" by Rebecca Mahoney, M.A.

Day 3

Suggested Seating: If it works well, have children sit on the floor as they did earlier.

Strangers:

Show the children the magazine pictures of strangers. Emphasize that if the children do not know a person the person is a stranger. Children should be on guard if approached by anyone they don't know. (The real Mickey Mouse and the real Santa would always make sure the child asked his/her parents first before taking him or her anywhere.)

Watch Smart About Strangers -- Script enclosed

Discuss the film using the enclosed discussion questions.

(Grade 1 Teachers - SOC-UM's Break the Silence - Yell and Tell educational program for Grades 2-6, uses the story of Red Riding Hood to introduce the Yell, Run, and Tell response. However, since Little Red Riding Hood is part of your core literature program and you may want to use this program before you introduce the story, we suggest you use our puppet program as a lead in. If you've already taught Little Red Riding Hood, you may want to use it here.)

Point out that the strangers in the video did not touch the children, but the children got an "Uh Oh" feeling when the strangers talked to them. Say, "If a stranger comes up to you or talks to you and you feel an 'Uh Oh' or bad feeling, remember you have a powerful tool to help you stay safe."

Say, "The puppet children in the video all had a powerful weapon with them. The 'Stranger Smart' song reminded them about it. You have that weapon too. It is with you all of the time. It is more powerful than any other weapon. It's just a few words -- a great big, loud 'BACK OFF!' If the person is a stranger it's 'BACK OFF STRANGER!'" Tell the children the reason you yell 'STRANGER' is to let nearby people know that it is a person not known to you and you could use some help.

Have the children shout with meaning, 'BACK OFF STRANGER!' If children seem doubtful about the effectiveness of this say that many of the adults or teens who try to hurt children, pick on them because they think that kids won't stand up for themselves. If they see you know you never deserve to be hurt, they will probably give up. You always need to tell a trusted adult right away so that the person won't try to hurt another child or you again.

Tell the children that at their age, they should always have a trusted adult near by caring for them. Remind them that when they go to the store or the zoo or anywhere, they should stay close to their trusted adult. Say, "If you are with a trusted adult and a stranger says 'Hi!,' you won't have to worry." Tell children if they walk to school, they need to have a trusted adult or big brother or sister with them. If they are just riding their bike down to their friend's house, their trusted adults should watch them. Tell them most adults do care about kids. Lots of people you don't know -- strangers -- are actually nice, but some want to trick children and take them away. The sad thing is you never can tell which strangers are the bad ones. Tell them that is why they need to remember the "Smart About Strangers" song.

Sing the "Stranger Smart" song with hand motions.

Yell, Run, Tell Response:

Say, "So now we are going to practice Yell, Run, and Tell." Throughout this, emphasize that the Run part means getting away.