Whenever I speak at a conference of school counselors or school social workers about prevention of child sexual abuse, I try to make the point that they can have a significant role in prevention of child sexual abuse because:
- Most children often do not like to discuss concerns and/or incidents of abuse because they don’t believe that they will be taken seriously
- Most abusers are typically members or close friends of the family, and therefore, children do not feel safe discussing this at home or with a family member
- School Counselors or School Social Workers can be in regular contact with children, and are often viewed by children as trusted adults outside the home/family
- All school counselors and social workers are generally mandated reporters – and therefore, concerns and/or incidents of abuse will typically reach the appropriate authorities
- School Counselors and Social Workers are professionally trained individuals who are able to discuss topics of this nature appropriately with children or are able to refer them to appropriate professionals
- Many of our systems are more likely to respond to a concern brought in by a school counselor or a school social worker rather than an ordinary citizen