Pledge Levels

Be a “Champion for Children”

Show your Hand and declare “Enough Silence, Enough Shame, Enough Denial, Enough Confusion… Enough Child Sexual Abuse! Read the Champion for Children Pledge.

1. I Pledge to Show my Hand to prevent child sexual abuse!
  Add your picture to our photo gallery and share it with your friends, followers, colleagues and on social media to show your commitment to ending child sexual abuse and to encourage them to do the same.

Be a “Prevention Learner”

What behaviors constitute child sexual abuse? Who are the abusers? Why do they abuse? What are its effects on children and teens? How can we spot and stop sexual abuse? Importantly, how can we prevent sexual abuse from ever occurring? Read the Learner Level Pledges.

1. I pledge to get the basic facts about child sexual abuse so I can learn how to prevent it!
  You read about child sexual abuse cases in the media regularly and may know someone who has been abused or even someone who has abused. As a concerned citizen, you want to know the facts behind the stories so that you can take action to prevent it and be a part of the solution.
2. I pledge as a parent to learn how I can keep my child or teen safe from sexual abuse!
  As a parent, you need and want to be the primary teacher of your children on issues of body boundaries, privacy, and ways to keep safe from sexual abuse. To do that effectively, first you need to get the facts.
3. I pledge as a parent to learn how I can keep my child or teen with a disability(ies) safe from sexual abuse!
  Parents and caregivers of children and teens with disabilities often have special concerns when it comes to preventing sexual abuse. Take this Pledge to explore the reasons why individuals with disabilities face a higher risk of sexual abuse and to learn specific ways to protect vulnerable children and teens from sexual abuse.
4. I pledge to learn how to understand and respond to typical/expected vs. inappropriate/ problematic sexual behaviors of children!
  Children engage in sexual behaviors at every age and stage of their development into healthy adulthood. Learning to distinguish which behaviors are typical (green light behaviors) from those that are coercive (yellow-light behaviors), or abusive (red light behaviors) can help parents respond appropriately and confidently to these behaviors.
5. I pledge to learn about child sexual abuse in schools and how to prevent it.
  Though most schools are safe environments, research indicates that sexual abuse of children is on the rise. But what are the warning signs? What can schools do to prevent abuse, and respond promptly and compassionately if it occurs? Take this Pledge to learn from an expert on how to spot and stop sexual abuse in schools.
6. I, as a school or youth organization leader, pledge to learn how to “do the right thing” when confronted with disclosures of current or past sexual abuse at my institution.
  Responding to disclosures of past or current sexual abuse poses a challenge for the leaders in any institution. It is possible, however, to turn these crises into opportunities to strengthen protections for children while also enhancing the school’s or youth organization’s standing in the community.

Be a “Prevention Educator”

Learning about child sexual abuse and how to prevent it is a great first step. Now that you have solid information, you can take specific prevention actions and share that knowledge with others, including your children, family, friends. Read the Educator Level Pledges.

Be a “Safe Community Promoter”

Communities need to take responsibility to prevent child sexual abuse. That means not only parents, but elected officials, school leaders, youth organizations, sports clubs, faith-based groups, etc. must become more aware of the risks of sexual abuse and how to reduce them to ensure your community is a place where children can live and learn, play and grow safely. Read the Safe Community Promoter Pledges.

1. I, as a leader of a school, youth organization, pledge to begin learning how to strengthen our policies to prevent child sexual abuse!
  Learning about sexual abuse is the critical first step in preventing it, however, clear policies that support prevention are essential if schools and youth organizations are to be truly safe havens where children and teens can learn, play, and grow.
2. I pledge to speak to my child’s coach, private tutor or instructor and ask about their program’ s safety rules!
  Parents have the power to ensure that the individuals and programs that serve their children or teens are aware of the risks of sexual abuse and have prevention policies and practices in place. You can share your concerns in a constructive and supportive way with the right facts and influence the adoption of safe child policies by your child’ s sport program or private instructor.
3. I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my community’s schools and/or local youth organizations!
  There are six basic standards that schools and youth organizations should adopt and be working to implement to make their institutions safer from sexual abuse. Promoting these standards with your community’s child and youth-serving programs is an effective way to help them become places where the sexual abuse and exploitation of children is openly prohibited and where boundary-violating behaviors by adults with children are reported and addressed constructively
4. I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my community’ s programs that serve children and teens with disabilities!
  Children and youth with disabilities face at greater risk of child sexual abuse for many reasons. Programs and organizations that serve these children and youth will want to explore these reasons, learn specific ways to reduce the risks, and also reduce their own organization’ s liability when addressing sexual abuse and exploitation.
5. I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my town-sponsored recreational programs!
  Town officials, coaches, parents and other volunteers who support these programs have a responsibility to protect children from the risks of sexual abuse – risks that are inherent in any youth-serving program that provides the cover and access to children that abusers require. What are the training options and policies municipalities should consider to better protect youth and also to reduce the legal liability of their city or town?
6. I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse within my own faith community!
  Communities of faith are particularly challenged by the problem of child sexual abuse since inherent in their mission is the duty to provide solace and support, not only for the victims of sexual abuse but also to those who seek it because of their past abuses. This requires faith-based groups and institutions to become especially knowledgeable about the problem and about prevention policies they can adoopt to keep the children and teens in their programs safe from abuse.
7. I pledge to volunteer with an organization in my area that is working to prevent child sexual abuse!
  Prevent Child Abuse America is a national organization made up of chapters in every state whose key mission is to prevent child abuse in all its forms. Many chapters are now working to address child sexual abuse. Find out what your State Prevent Child Abuse America Chapter is doing and how you can support their mission.

Be a “Movement Builder”

Efforts to prevent child sexual abuse have to go beyond training and education in order to be truly effective. Supporting laws, policies, and regulations that support child sexual abuse prevention are critical if we intend to successfully challenge those who would violate our trust and our children. Read the Movement Builder Pledges.

Be a “Champion for Children”

I Pledge to Show my Hand to prevent child sexual abuse!

Be a “Prevention Learner”

I pledge to get the basic facts about child sexual abuse so I can learn how to prevent it!

I pledge as a parent to learn how I can keep my child or teen safe from sexual abuse!

I pledge as a parent to learn how I can keep my child or teen with a disability(ies) safe from sexual abuse!

I pledge to learn how to understand and respond to typical/expected vs. inappropriate/ problematic sexual behaviors of children!

I pledge to learn about child sexual abuse in schools and how to prevent it.

I, as a school or youth organization leader, pledge to learn how to “do the right thing” when confronted with disclosures of current or past sexual abuse at my institution.

Be a “Prevention Educator”

I pledge to teach my young child under 5 about body safety!

I pledge to teach my school-aged child the five body safety messages!

I pledge to talk to my teen about how to be safe from sexual abuse!

Be a “Safe Community Promoter”

I, as a leader of a school, youth organization, pledge to begin learning how to strengthen our policies to prevent child sexual abuse!

I pledge to speak to my child’s coach, private tutor or instructor and ask about their program’ s safety rules!

I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my community’s schools and/or local youth organizations!

I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my community’ s programs that serve children and teens with disabilities!

I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse in my town-sponsored recreational programs!

I pledge to promote policies to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse within my own faith community!

I pledge to volunteer with an organization in my area that is working to prevent child sexual abuse!

Be a “Movement Builder”

I pledge to contact my state legislators about creating or strengthening child sexual abuse prevention education legislation in our schools!

I pledge to contact my legislators about introducing legislation to address educator sexual misconduct in our schools.

I pledge to bring the Enough Abuse Campaign to my region or state!