Instruction/Guided Practice:

Tell the children that we will be discussing child abuse today. Tell them that child abuse happens too often to children - it may have happened to one of them. Explain that today's lessons are to learn about child abuse and how to stop it. If they wish to share personal stories with you, they are welcome to do so during recess or before or after class. Explain to them that some of the things they will be seeing in the film may make them sad or scared or embarrassed. Ask them what children who feel embarrassed are likely to do (i.e., blush, giggle, or make fun). Tell them today giggling or making fun are not options for behavior, but that you do want to know if they are feeling sad, scared, or embarrassed. Model - placing both hands over your cheeks to signify discomfort. Assure them that if they give you this sign you will try to alter the lesson to help them.

Diagnostic for Break the Silence - Yell and Tell (located in back of manual).

Film: Break the Silence, by Arnold Shapiro Productions

Suggested seating: Have children at desks and/or tables.

As a class, brainstorm five things children know about child abuse. Brainstorm five things they would like to know about child abuse.

Watch the Film

* If you have already completed your district's drug and alcohol prevention program -- ask the children if they notice a connection between substance abuse and child abuse.

Suggested Seating: Have children gathered around on the floor as for story time, if this works with your group.

Trusted Adults/Good Touches:

Each child in Break the Silence found a special gift. Take out a gift wrapped box or bag which contains pictures of trusted adults and children. As you slowly open the box announce that "trusted adults" are each child's special gift.

Show the children pictures of other children with their "trusted adults" (i.e., parents, grandparents, or teachers). Emphasize that the children know and truly feel that the trusted adults love them and want them to be very safe and happy. Emphasize that a "trusted adult" loves the child no matter what happens. If you are sharing pictures of your own trusted adults relate a story from your own childhood (for example, when you were hesitant about confiding in a "trusted adult," but did and felt much better). If you were abused, do not relate your story. Our emphasis is on the children in the classroom.

Stress that a "trusted adult" is someone you don't have to worry about telling anything to. Choose a "trusted adult" from your pictures and tell the children that today is that person's birthday.

Ask the children to tell you what kind of secrets one might be keeping from this adult. Brainstorm. Once you have a list of possible secrets, ask the children how long these secrets will last and if anyone feels bad if they are in on the secrets. Elicit a response and emphasize that the secrets last only for a few days at most and no one is hurt by keeping them. Label the brainstormed list Happy Secrets. Tell the children that we will be talking more about secrets as we go on in this presentation.

Show the children a magazine picture of a baby or small child. Brainstorm 5 things that a baby needs from adults. Elicit the response of love or a positive touch (i.e., hugs, kisses, cuddling, rocking). Point out that babies need all of these things and more to feel safe and cared for. Emphasize that all children deserve to feel safe and parents and teachers are responsible for helping them to feel safe and cared for.

Suggested Seating: Have children return to desks.

Good Touches / Uncomfortable Touches

Return to the elicited response of positive touch. Brainstorm more good touches. Say, "Good touches make you feel safe and cared for and happy. No one keeps these touches secret."

Tell children that what is a good touch for one may make another child feel uncomfortable. Say, "If your teacher or your aunt gives you a hug and you don't like it or maybe just don't feel like it that day, you have every right to tell them you feel uncomfortable and they should stop." Tell the children not to worry about hurting the adult's feelings. The adult is the grown-up and should put the child's feelings first. Emphasize that this type of touch is not bad, just uncomfortable.

Have a child volunteer to come to the front of the room. Tell them to practice this response to the unwelcome, uncomfortable touch. Hug the child and have them respond, "(Your Name), that makes me uncomfortable and I'd like you to stop." Praise the child and have him or her choose another child to repeat the role play with you. Remind the children to have good posture and look you in the eye when they express their feelings.

* Be prepared and ready to validate their feelings if they try this response out on you during the next few days.

Bad Touches/ Private Zone:

Tell children that we would hope that all adults would care about and protect children, but as we saw in Break the Silence, some adults do not. 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, or scratching). Review private zone from the movie as those parts of your body covered by a bathing suit. 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." People who invade other people's private zone 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 before. As we heard in the movie, an abuser may try to scare you and tell you that something bad may happen to a person or a pet that you love 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! Someone will believe you.