Dear Sir,

The Coalition for the Protection of Children has reached a pivotal point in educating young people to effectively identify signs of child abuse. The CPC has now trained more than 3,500 students in the preventative education programme, Safety Matters.

The programme equips children, as well as adults in their lives, with empowering information on how to prevent, recognise and respond appropriately to all types of abuse, including bullying and cyberbullying.

Five developmentally appropriate safety rules are taught over a series of facilitated lessons to students from P1 through high school. Because online grooming and cyberbullying are unfortunate realities for young people, concepts such as privacy and permanency are also covered during the responsible use of technology portion of classes.

Child abuse has profound and enduring effects on both victims and society. When children understand that they are unique and deserve to be safe, they are more likely to confide in a trusted adult about abuse that they may experience.

Emphasising that the core principle of this programme is that it is an adult’s responsibility to protect children, the organisation is reminding the community of the importance of being a safe adult.

As Child Abuse Prevention Month draws to a close and we celebrate the success of Safety Matters, we encourage everyone to remain a child's safe adult, serving as the primary defenders against child abuse.

KELLY HUNT

Executive director

Coalition for the Protection of Children