16 Apr SafeTouch
NCS Victim Advocate Dee Thomas-Jones, pictured above, can help children recognize sexual abuse if they experience it. Through presentations of the SafeTouch Curriculum to school classes, she educates the kids on the difference between touches that are okay and those that are not okay, and between good secrets (birthday surprises) and bad secrets (those that make the child feel unsafe or uncomfortable).
The SafeTouch Curriculum has an age-appropriate program for each grade from kindergarten through 5th grade. Children are taught to understand common offender tricks and lures, whether the offender is a stranger or an acquaintance. The safety rules included in the curriculum can be summed up by No! Go! Tell! The course teaches how to say no firmly to inappropriate touches and advises kids to get away as quickly as possible and, by all means, to tell a trusted adult.
SafeTouch presentations are another way Natchez Children’s Services supports children who are vulnerable to sexual abuse. To request a SafeTouch presentation, please call 601‑442‑6858.