To better protect and heal children from trauma and its emotional impact
Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS)
More than 1/3rd of parents of young children do not talk to them about body safety and abuse prevention. This avoidance stems from fear and a lack of knowledge about how to initiate the conversation. Parents who do have the conversation often use inaccurate or vague terms.
Keeping Every Youth Safe© (KEYS) is a prevention program developed by Child HELP Partnership that uses proven techniques to empower parents and other caregivers to discuss these difficult topics and protect their children from abuse and bullying.
What Happens at the Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS) Workshops
Caregivers attend two workshops. The first, Child Safe for Parents, is a 2.5-hour workshop about child sexual abuse prevention, effective parenting strategies, and promoting healthy peer relationships. Caregivers learn the facts about abuse and bullying, practical prevention strategies, and ways to overcome obstacles to using them. Facilitators of these workshops use brief presentations, engaging discussions, and role-plays to engage the audience. The workshop is available both in-person and virtually, in English and Spanish.
A few weeks later, caregivers bring their children to the second 45 minute workshop called Parents and Children Together. During this workshop, caregivers practice the strategies they had been taught with their children.
Addressing Erin’s Law
In 2019, New York State passed Erin’s Law, which requires sexual abuse prevention programming in all public elementary and middle schools. Child HELP Partnership has put together a package of services to educate children, parents, and school staff on effective prevention strategies.
Feedback from Families
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CHP’s Impact
Attended Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS)
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Outcome / Research Results
The effectiveness of Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS) in changing parents’ knowledge and behavior was tested in a randomized controlled trial (Brown, Beekman, & Canter, 2015). Fifty-four adults (Mean Age = 42; 76% female; 72% Caucasian) from an economically and culturally diverse community were randomly assigned to one of two times to attend Child Safe for Parents; Group 1 attended Child Safe for Parents in January, and Group 2 attended two months later, in March.
The following is a representation of the increase in knowledge.
As represented on the graph, the increase in knowledge about abuse and bullying occurred only after participants received Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS). This increase in knowledge was retained one month later. A similar pattern of improvement was shown for protective behavior.
Change in Knowledge about Prevention as a Function of Participation in Child Safe for Parents
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Blue (Group 1) had Child Safe for Parents between Assessment Time Points 1 and 2, and Red (Group 2) had Child Safe for Parents between Assessment Time Points 3 and 4.
As represented on the graph, the increase in knowledge about abuse and bullying occurred only after participants received Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS). This increase in knowledge was retained one month later. A similar pattern of improvement was shown for protective behavior.
Contact Us about Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS)
For more information about Child HELP Partnership’s Keeping Every Youth Safe (KEYS) program, contact us.