LEWISTON – Bridget McAlonan intra in clase de gradinita din tot judetul Androscoggin care poarta „nave spatiale” de tip hula-hoop albastru si incurajeaza copiii de 5 ani sa paseasca in interiorul lor si sa-si exploreze spatiul personal.

Cand sunt in clasa a treia, aceiasi copii joaca un joc cu navele spatiale si un labirint de banda: ramai impreuna intr-un grup, dar pastreaza-ti spatiul personal, le spune ea, „dar nu poti sa te incurci labirint. Ei trebuie sa isi dea seama cum sa se tina impreuna fara sa se impinga singuri sau unii pe altii in jur si sa nu alerge in alte grupuri. Ei ajung sa se tina unul de celalalt si sa se tina reciproc. neurostar.com

McAlonan este un educator cu Centrul de Criza a Asaltului Sexual din Lewiston. Ea si colegul educator Molly Nelson lucreaza cu elevii in aproape fiecare clasa din fiecare scoala publica din judetul Androscoggin; cu tineri la New Beginnings, o casa pentru tineri fugiti si fara adapost; Genesis House, un centru pentru adolescenti cu diagnostic de sanatate mintala; si cu studentii Bates College.

De la biroul ei recent, McAlonan a explicat obiectivul programului ei, pe care a descris-o drept „educatia pentru consimtamant”.

Pana cand elevii a treia a lucrat cu atingerea clasei a saptea si a opta, conversatia va fi evoluat, a spus ea. lukasjjcf688.image-perth.org In mod ideal, copiii vor avea incredere in ea si vor fi suficient de confortabili pentru a discuta consimtamantul, hartuirea si violenta sexuala.

De cand scandalurile de abuzuri sexuale asupra copiilor care implica regele Robert Carlson din Maine si antrenorul asistent de fotbal Jerry Sandusky din Penn State din Pennsylvania au lovit stirile, avocatii si educatorii au depus eforturi sporite pentru educarea copiilor si adultilor cu privire la modul de prevenire a tragediei si la modul de sustinere a supravietuitorilor.

„Una din patru fete si unul din sase baieti sunt estimate a fi victime ale agresiunii sexuale”, a spus McAlonan. Ea a lucrat cu copii in judetul Androscoggin timp de cinci ani, a spus ea. redrice-co.com

„Daca pot lasa un copil sa stie ca are dreptul sa aiba spatiu personal si ca, daca a avut acel spatiu transgresat, cineva va asculta, poate va putea primi ajutor mai devreme”, a spus ea. „Cu cat este tratata mai repede trauma, cu atat este mai probabil ca persoana sa poata vindeca.”

Si McAlonan constata ca elevii cu care a lucrat in urma cu cinci ani in salile de clasa gimnaziala o duc frecvent deoparte in salile unui liceu local si ii spun: „Trebuie sa vorbesc cu tine”. Si vor vorbi, ea a spus: „despre tot”. prolessonworks6.lucialpiazzale.com

Curriculum

McAlonan, care are un master in educatie si experienta in justitie sociala, predare si advocacy pentru copii, a proiectat curriculum-ul Centrului de criza sexuala de asalt.

Pe masura ce elevii imbatranesc, prezentarile incep sa abordeze zvonurile, hartuirea si siguranta Internetului. Au descoperit ca studentii de-a sasea s-au intalnit deja cu pornografie, indiferent daca „au mers pe surf pentru asta” sau le-au trimis imagini. 

„Am copii veniti la mine si spun:„ Poti sa ma ajuti sa-mi schimb setarile (de confidentialitate)? Cineva mi-a trimis aceasta poza “, a spus Nelson. we.riseup.net

Studentii au navigat deseori pentru pornografie pana la aceasta varsta, potrivit McAlonan, chiar si pe laptopurile scolii si chiar daca administratorii incearca sa blocheze astfel de site-uri.

Asa ca echipa a fost solicitata sa le vorbeasca copiilor despre impactul mass-media in general, concentrandu-se pe reclame, cum ar fi una pentru McDonald’s, infatisand un triatleta care spune ca mananca mancarea rapida.

„Ei spun:„ Ce? In niciun caz “, a spus McAlonan. „Eu zic:„ Acum, haideti sa vorbim despre ce cautati online. b3.zcubes.com (Copiii spun), „Ohhh, pun doua lucruri impreuna care probabil nu sunt adevarate”. Deci, ei dezleaga incet programarea. Le spun: „Daca vrei sa te uiti la asta, este in regula, dar trebuie sa stii impactul.”

Conceptul de violenta sexuala este introdus in clasele a saptea si a opta, iar de liceu, duo vorbeste despre siguranta la intalnire si ce sa faca in caz de atac. hectortgqv265.wordpress.com

Dar invariabil, a spus McAlonan, copiii se apropie de ei cu alte probleme, deoarece au incredere in ei, a spus ea si ii directioneaza catre resurse adecvate.

‘Consimtamant’

In unele scoli, educatorii lucreaza cu prekindergartners, antrenand lectiile si limba la copii de 4- si 5 ani. 

„Bridget face o treaba frumoasa; ea chiar ”, a spus Brian Albert, directorul scolilor elementare Libby-Tozier si Carrie Ricker din districtul Litchfield-Sabattus-Wales. McAlonan lucreaza, de asemenea, cu studenti la Oak Hill Middle School din Tara Galilor. wanelo.co

In salile de clasa elementare mai vechi, McAlonan vorbeste despre eticheta jocului si ii intreaba pe studenti unde, in joc, li se permite sa „eticheteze” pe cineva.

„Eu zic:„ Poti sa atingi oamenii pe capul lor? ” Nu, asta este impotriva regulilor. Acest lucru aduce pur si simplu (conceptul) ca nu puteti face acest lucru, aveti permisiunea de a atinge pe cineva aici (ea atinge bratul), sau poate la mijlocul spatelui – aveti „consimtamant” – noi folosim asta cuvant, spuse ea. „S-ar putea sa nu o inteleaga, dar au auzit-o. greenlifebox9.almoheet-travel.com Asta construieste incet (conceptul) ca ai consimtamantul sa faci asta numai daca este sigur si distractiv pentru toata lumea. “

Parintii sunt avertizati intr-un buletin informativ ca McAlonan va colabora cu copiii lor in probleme precum spatiul personal.

Cu toate acestea, Albert a recunoscut ca, in special cand aud numele agentiei McAlonan, Sexual Assault Crisis Center, „O parte din munca ei poate fi controversata cu unii parinti. Ei se intreaba daca este ceva ce scoala ar trebui sa faca. artinfotalk5.godaddysites.com Dar suntem foarte in fata parintilor si nu cred ca am avut cu adevarat pe cineva care s-a (obiectat). Vin de cativa ani si oamenii sunt obisnuiti cu ea. ”

Controversa

Programul nu este oferit in unele scoli din judetul Androscoggin, cu toate acestea, inclusiv unele din Auburn si Elm Street School din Mechanic Falls. In aceste scoli, Advocates for Children, bazat pe Lewiston, lucreaza in unele sali de clasa. prolessonsite8.shutterfly.com

Potrivit site-ului web al agentiei, acestia ofera prezentari pe teme precum siguranta corporala personala, prevenirea abuzurilor fizice, emotionale si sexuale, prevenirea bullyingului si rezolvarea problemelor.

McAlonan and Nelson surmise that fear surrounding their organization’s name may be among the causes they have not been asked to present in those schools.

“We go to schools and say, ‘We’d like to talk to your kids about personal space,’” McAlonan said. “Before second grade, I don’t even say (the agency’s name). pbase.com I just say I work for an agency that helps … I don’t ever talk about sexual assault. At third grade, we start saying, ‘I work for the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and that sounds scary, but you’ve known me for the past couple of years and I’m not a scary person.’ I never talk directly about abuse until fourth grade, although if they bring it up, I will fold their concerns into the presentation.”

Auburn Superintendent Katy Grondin said last week that most of what SACC offers in its presentations is taught in health classes in Auburn schools, although Advocates for Children has worked in the schools recently. pbase.com

McAlonan said they do not visit classrooms at Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, in RSU 16, after “a problem several years back” during a presentation to eighth-graders about sexual harassment. When that conversation suddenly included offensive words, McAlonan acknowledges that she “inadvertently” said a specific word as an example of “a word that could be hurtful … and triggers a lot of people,” although she said she doesn’t “have a hard time with the word.”

Still, she said, “That was it. After that presentation, there was resistance and a very strained relationship. beauuere355.theburnward.com We did a debrief and I said, ‘I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to be offensive,’ but they said, ‘I can’t believe you said that word.’ I said, ‘There’s other words out there that if you say them, they can be much more hurtful than just this word.’”

Nelson did return for presentations, and the guidance counselor from the school has since called for services, the team said.

But Carol Lundberg, the social worker at Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, said Tuesday that SACC no longer works with students at the Elm Street School due to “scheduling conflicts. www.hackster.io

Instead, Lundberg teaches a 12- or 13-week course to students in kindergarten through third grades, based on a curriculum from the Seattle-based organization Committee for Children, and fourth- and sixth-graders work with Advocates for Children.

Lundberg said students learn about different forms of “touching” as well as safety skills, including fire prevention and bike helmets.

“What I love about it is that from the very beginning, it focuses on unwanted touching and talking and how to deal with it,” she said.

‘Drop-in’

McAlonan and Nelson also offer “drop-in” hours at least once a week at public high schools and some middle schools and junior high schools in Androscoggin County. rafaeljgnt460.mystrikingly.com

During those sessions, students can schedule time to speak to them privately.

Frequently, guidance counselors, school resource officers and even custodians will tell her, “’I need you to go find this kid because they said something to me and I don’t know what to tell them,’” McAlonan said. “Sometimes if a kiddo won’t talk to us, they will talk to someone in the school or they’ll talk to us at the same time.”

Only five years old, McAlonan’s program is untested, she said, largely due to lack of funding. storeboard.com The organization is financed by the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, United Way and federal grants, including the Violence Against Women Act. There’s no money for evaluation.

But she said she sees success in schools, when kids realize “they don’t have to be passive anymore; that it’s supposed to be fair, that they don’t have to be, ‘Oh, you’re just a little kid to be seen and not be heard, or don’t even be seen.’ (They realize), you get to be here, you get to say what you need and what feels fun and safe. livecoachlab2.wordpress.com

McAlonan said abstract concepts such as personal space are difficult to understand, particularly for younger children, and “require a lot of buy-in from the teachers. It’s scary for some teachers, but in the schools we have a presence in, especially the Lewiston schools, it’s a nonissue.”

Teachers in RSU 4 schools in the Sabattus area also have “bought in” to the program, according to Principal Brian Albert, who said his teachers are “very comfortable with” McAlonan’s work and understand and “reinforce it … so it becomes part of real practice, part of their toolbox that they carry around.”

Success is also more likely, McAlonan said, when her work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. postheaven.net  

“If I just show up once, and they’re never going to hear it again, then it’s not going to work,” she said. “But if it’s being repeated by their teachers, if it’s being repeated by their peers, if it’s being repeated by the principal, it’s going to help someone.”

What: 12th annual Celebrity Waiter Dinner to support the Sexual Assault Crisis Center

When: 6 to 9 p.m. mylovesoft0.image-perth.org Saturday, Aug. 25

Where: Martindale Country Club, 527 Beech Hill Road, Auburn.

Who: Celebrity waiters, including Barry Schmieks and Liz Allen of the Auburn Police Department, Maureen Aube of the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce, Jeremy Rush of Gleason Radio, Maine state legislator Michael Carey, Mike Blais of Blais Florist and The Gym, Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte, Adrienne Kramer of Girl Power Fitness, Mitchell Clyde Thomas of Community Little Theatre, Deputy Chief Jim Minkowsky of the Lewiston Police Department, Joshua Shea and Molly McGill of Lewiston Auburn Magazine and Rita Myrick of Maine Cycle/Skier’s Edge.

Cost: $30 each or $250 for a table of 10.  

Info: 784-5272.

Sexual Assault Crisis Center contacts

Web: sexualassaultcrisiscenter.org



Facebook: www.facebook. com/saccmaine



Twitter: twitter.com/saccmaine



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