Y To Offer Training on Recognizing Sex Abuse

The and Darkness to Light are joining forces to help educate the public on sexual abuse.

The Darkness to Light program Stewards of Children emphasizes child safety as an adult’s responsibility. With the Y partnership, this program and its trainings will be available to residents of Lexington, Arlington, Burlington, Winchester and Woburn.

Trainings are open to the public and can be of specific interest to youth sports organizations, coaches, camp counselors, teachers, schools, faith centers and other service organizations, according to the YMCA.

“One of the Y’s areas of focus is on youth development,” said Amy Turner, Branch Executive Director of the North Suburban YMCA.  “We believe that every child deserves the chance to discover who they are and what they can achieve in a safe and nurturing environment, and that’s why partnering with Darkness to Light for this program is so important to us.”

According to information provided by the YMCA:

• Approximately 20 percent of sex abuse victims are under the age of 8;
• 1 in 5 children are sexually solicited while on the internet;
• 30 to 40 percent of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members; and 
• There are an estimated 39 million survivors of sexual abuse living in the US today.

The Darkness to Light trainings facilitate discussion about the incidence and consequence of abuse and present information about child protection policies and mandates.

An informational session will be held at Woburn City Hall from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 22. For more information and/or to sign up, contact Jodi Crowley at jcrowley@ymcaboston.org or at 781.305.2908. Space is limited.