Course on protecting children from sexual abuse

The local social welfare department has teamed up with Fundació RANA in putting together a course to help islanders put a stop to child sexual abuse.

Training at schools
For two days starting Wednesday, six- to eleven-year olds at the island's primary schools will receive the training. They will also attend a live-action performance of Isabel Olid's “Estela, crida molt fort!” (Estela, shout it out!), a reckoning with child molestation in which the author seeks to give young children tools to insure they are respected.

On a tour where stops span schools, libraries, nurseries and daycare providers, RANA hopes to use the tale to explain Estela's story and arm children with the skills to spot risky situations and take action accordingly.

Training for professionals
Wednesday from 4.00pm to 6.00pm, the local cinema will be the site of another round of training, this one geared for professionals in education. Entitled “Actua! Per a prevenir l'abús infantil” (Take action to stop child abuse!), the course aims to give participants information to successfully spot and prevent cases of child sexual abuse and respond responsibly when it occurs.

Organisers of the course see it as a way to equip educational staff with the skills and knowledge to catch situations in which abuse is happening and act accordingly to protect children and teens.

Parent training
Also on Wednesday, from 6.00pm to 7.00pm in the cinema and 8.30pm to 9.30pm in la Mola's Casa del Poble, parents are invited to attend a discussion about preparing children to deal with risks. The course will offer ideas about how parents can strengthen emotional bonds and discuss sexuality with their children. Instructors will also address the risks associated with gadgets and the Internet.

Training for teens
Lastly, Wednesday from 7.00pm to 8.00pm, the Casal de Joves will host “Ens fas falta” (We need you), a workshop aimed at helping 12- to 16-year-olds prevent or foil a range of unacceptable offences, from mistreatment to sexual abuse, whether they materialise in the present or took place in the past.