Training Adults to Protect Children and Moving Toward the Tipping Point

Children can and should be taught about safe boundaries in age-appropriate ways, but it is the responsibility of trusted adults to know how to identify the risks and take appropriate action when they suspect child sexual abuse. It is only when enough trusted adults know how to protect children that we can reach what Malcolm Gladwell has famously called a “tipping point,” or the point of critical mass. In this case, that’s where a community reaches a cultural change and new norms are set in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse.

Unfortunately, many parents and caregivers feel uncertain about the signs of childhood sexual abuse, how to communicate healthy boundaries with children, and where to make a report. These concerns are often amplified by fears of what will happen if they say something or get involved.

Darkness to Light developed the Stewards of Children training; an adult-focused, evidence-informed curriculum proven to increase knowledge about child sexual abuse and to change behaviors that promote protective factors.

In 2019 No More Stolen Childhoods partnered with GBMC to bring the Stewards of Children program to a broader audience in Maryland. In doing so, we’ve joined a global network of facilitators and trained adults dedicated to making their communities safer. As of 2019, 1.8 million people across 76 countries had received the Stewards of Children training, with 1.6 million of them being in the USA.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Baltimore County COVID19 Emergency Response Fund, we have been able to offer an ongoing virtual series of Stewards of Children trainings. To learn more and to register for a live session, click here. We hope you’ll join the effort and help move your own community closer to the tipping point!