"When I talk to children they often tell me that they told their parents that they were being sexually abused," said Child Advocacy Center forensic interviewer Amanda Pruitt.

The Child Advocacy Center works as a team with the Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office to respond to child abuse cases, protect children, investigate the crime, aggressively prosecute offenders, and help children and their non-offending family members heal from the trauma.

The Child Advocacy Center’s role in the Child Protective Investigative Team is to interview the child victim and provide crisis assistance to the non-offending parents and grandparents. "We find when we talk to parents that they genuinely had no idea that their child was being sexually abused," said Child Advocacy Center Family Services Coordinator Jennifer Gamble.

"The disconnection occurs between parents and children when the parent doesn’t talk to their child about child sexual abuse," continued Pruitt. "By talking to your children about child sexual abuse you give them permission to talk to you about it if something happens to them. From the time they are old enough to understand teach your children about their private parts. Explain to them that your private parts are the parts of your body that are covered by a swimming suit and no one has a right to touch their private parts without their permission."

The Child Advocacy Center provides Darkness to Light training to educate parents about child sexual abuse prevention. "Every parent and grandparent in Rutherford and Cannon Counties needs to take this training," said Community Education Coordiantor Brittnie Noble.

Step 3 of the Darkness to Light child sexual abuse prevention training is Talk About it. This step teaches parents and grandparents how to have age-appropriate, open conversations with our children and grandchildren about their bodies and personal boundaries.

Darkness to Light encourages parents to talk to their children about child sexual abuse. You can minimize the opportunity for someone to sexually abuse your child by taking these actions:

• Teach your children what parts of their bodies other people should not touch.
• Start early and talk often. Use everyday opportunities to talk about child sexual abuse.
• Teach your children that it is "against the rules" for adults to act in a sexual way with children, and use examples.
• Tell your children that the abusive person may be an adult friend, family member, or older child or youth.
• Teach your children not to give out personal information when they are on the Internet, including their last name, parent’s names, email addresses, home addresses, and telephone numbers.
• Encourage your children to tell you who they are talking to on the Internet.
• Be proactive. If your child seems uncomfortable, or resistant to being with a particular adult or older child, ask why. 

"The best way to protect your child from predators is to really listen to your children, ask questions about anything that doesn’t quite sound right, and trust your gut instincts as a parent," concluded Gamble. "Our relationship with our children is their best protection against child sexual abuse."

The Child Advocacy Center is providing free Darkness to Light online training during the COVID 19 pandemic. Rutherford and Cannon County parents, grandparents, and professionals can view the training online at no charge until June 30, 2020. To learn more about training opportunities contact Community Education Coordinator Brittnie Noble. She can be reached in Rutherford County at 615-867-9000 or in Cannon County at 615-563-9915 or by email at bnoble@cacrutherford.org.