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Be Seen and Heard
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Victor Pacini will be returning to Blossom Hill Elementary and all the LGUSD schools to present his "Be Seen and Heard" program. By fulfilling the Megan's Law requirement, Victor's goal is to help children and parents increase their knowledge and awareness about the topic of sexual abuse and domestic violence. He does this by delivering it from a fresh and positive perspective. This perspective skyrockets self-confidence and increases the parent-child connection without being disingenuous and insensitive. Presentations are tailored to each age group to be developmentally appropriate.
Some key points from Victor's presentations are:
The clean and healthy rule is important for all children to understand. No one may see or touch a child’s private parts unless it is to keep them clean and healthy. If it is not in the context of clean and healthy, a child should understand that they should not be asked to show or touch their private parts.
Children should be able to identify a trusted hero team. A trusted hero is a person who they feel comfortable sharing their concerns. It may be a parent or a teacher or a coach. A child needs a team of trusted heroes so that they have multiple sources if their preferred hero is not immediately available.
Children should listen to their “inner sirens.” The yucky feeling or their gut telling them that something is not right or makes them uncomfortable. Children should understand that they should be seen and heard if they find themselves in a situation that seems wrong.
Developmentally appropriate terms used in the Be Seen and Heard presentations change as students get older. With kindergarten, first and second grades, we speak about safe and unsafe touches. With third and fourth grades, we transition to appropriate and inappropriate touches. It is not until fifth grade that the term sexual abuse is ever used. For all grades, safe touches are high fives, handshakes and the like.
Some key points from Victor's presentations are:
The clean and healthy rule is important for all children to understand. No one may see or touch a child’s private parts unless it is to keep them clean and healthy. If it is not in the context of clean and healthy, a child should understand that they should not be asked to show or touch their private parts.
Children should be able to identify a trusted hero team. A trusted hero is a person who they feel comfortable sharing their concerns. It may be a parent or a teacher or a coach. A child needs a team of trusted heroes so that they have multiple sources if their preferred hero is not immediately available.
Children should listen to their “inner sirens.” The yucky feeling or their gut telling them that something is not right or makes them uncomfortable. Children should understand that they should be seen and heard if they find themselves in a situation that seems wrong.
Developmentally appropriate terms used in the Be Seen and Heard presentations change as students get older. With kindergarten, first and second grades, we speak about safe and unsafe touches. With third and fourth grades, we transition to appropriate and inappropriate touches. It is not until fifth grade that the term sexual abuse is ever used. For all grades, safe touches are high fives, handshakes and the like.