Press Room
Retired detective arms others about child abuse
East Hartford Gazette
12/7/07
Did you know less than 10 percent of child sexual abuse cases are reported? Or that one of every 7 victims of sexual assault is under the age of 6?
How about the fact that between 84 and 95 percent of sexually abused children personally know their molester?
The Children's Trust Fund, founder of "The Stranger You Know... a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program" wants your PTO or PTA or scout group or any other organization to know this presentation is offered at no cost to any group of parents or community providers across the state.
The goal is to give everyone the ability to take responsibility for protecting all children in their communities by arranging an informative presentation to friends, community groups or organizations.
"'The Stranger You Know' program gives participants precise and up to date information on how child molesters successfully offend against children," said Children's Trust Fund Executive Director Karen Foley-Schain. "Knowing how they think, act and operate is the best protection we have against sexual offenders."
The program's presenter is Robert F. Kenary, a retired East Hartford Police Commander who specialized on cases of child abuse during his 33-year career -- the last 30 as a lead detective and investigator. Kenary will help attendees discover:
- Ways to identify adult sexual misbehavior
- Ways to help prevent the opportunity for child sexual abuse
- Tips for having significant conversations with your children about safety
These new community seminars focus on primary prevention strategies that adults may use to help prevent child sexual abuse. According to Kenary, the program shifts the burden of prevention from the child -- who may be told by adults to beware of and say no to strangers and suspicious behaviors -- to the adult, who is trained to be aware of these behaviors and protect children from perpetrators.
"The Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Project accurately profiles the child molester for worried adults," said Kenary. "Once they are well-informed, a sexual safety plan for children can be developed -- based on skills and confidence rather than fear and avoidance."
Kenary was assigned to the FBI for three years investigating sexual offenses against children. He is the recipient of the Martin A. Burnham Award for child abuse prevention and two official citations in 2006 and 2007 from the Connecticut General Assembly for his work in child sexual abuse prevention.
The Trust fund offers these tips for hosting a successful The Stranger You Know... presentation in your community:
- Sending out flyers to parents and posting them in schools, businesses, and community centers in your local area
- Asking participants to pre-register with the host
- Offering snacks and beverages when possible
- Having a mental health care provider on hand if possible (i.e. school social worker or counselor)
- Completing host evaluation forms and asking participants to complete participant evaluation forms
To arrange for a free presentation in your community or for more information on The Stranger You Know... Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program, contact Laura Beebe at the Children's Trust Fund at (860) 418-8763 or Email laura.beebe@ct.gov.
