"One out of ten children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday," according to Child Advocacy Center Community Education Coordinator Zach Sanders.

"This means that everywhere you see children in our community – in schools, daycares, churches, swimming pools, parks, baseball, softball, and soccer fields – there are children who are silently bearing the burden of child sexual abuse alone."

The Child Advocacy Centers in Murfreesboro and Woodbury, in collaboration with Child Advocacy Centers across the United States, implemented a new nationwide project in September 2012 to train parents, grandparents, and professionals how to prevent their children from being sexually abused and what do if a child reports abuse to them.

The Child Advocacy Center Board of Directors set a goal to train 11,575 adults. This represents 5% of the adult population of Rutherford and Cannon Counties. In the last six years, the Child Advocacy Center is excited to announce that over 9,000 adults have been trained in Rutherford and Cannon Counties.

You can bring the Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention training to your school, daycare, PTO, non-profit agency, church, civic organization, or business. The training is free of charge and it teaches you the 5 Steps to Preventing Child Sexual Abuse. Continuing education credits are available for child care workers, social workers, nurses, and law enforcement.

The next Darkness to Light training that is open to the general public is Tuesday, May 22, 2018 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Rutherford County Rescue Squad office, located at 1504 West College Street, Murfreesboro. To register contact the Child Advocacy Center at 615-867-9000.

To bring the Darkness to Light training to your group please contact the Zach Sanders at the Child Advocacy Center at 615-867-9000 or zsanders@cacrutherford.org.

Top image: The Ascent indoor climbing gym staff are being trained on the Darkness to Light 5 Steps to preventing child sexual abuse.