Time: 2012 - Present
Services Provided: Policy and Procedure Review and Audit, Training, and Consultation
Partnership Overview:
When there is an incident of child sexual abuse in a school, The NYSPCC works with them to develop and implement appropriate protocols and training to protect children and educate teachers, staff, and the school community about child sexual abuse prevention.
In July 2012, The NYPSCC was engaged by Horace Mann (HM) to provide a range of child protection education and review services. Working closely with the headmaster of HM, Tom Kelly, Ph.D., The NYSPCC provided comprehensive support for the school following the press reports of allegations of widespread child sexual abuse that had occurred decades earlier. This support included a review of all policies and procedures that impact child safety, providing Safe Touches workshops for all children in kindergarten through third grade, child sexual abuse prevention training for all children in grades 4 through 12, child abuse identification and reporting training for the faculty and staff, and an educational lecture series on topics concerning child abuse prevention and child safety was held for the parents, the alumni association, and the board of directors. Services provided through The NYSPCC’s Training Institute were delivered to HM students, staff, and parents on the HM Riverdale campus and at the Nursery School in Manhattan.
The NYSPCC continues to support HM in helping to ensure their school and students are protected from child sexual abuse. Each school year, The NYSPCC returns to conduct refresher courses with the current student body, and all new staff take our child abuse identification and reporting course online. In addition, HM generously provides funding to ensure that public school children also have access to this important education. As a result of HM’s generous funding, approximately 5,000-6,000 children in Bronx public schools are able to attend a Safe Touches workshop each year. Since the partnership begun, over 35,000 students have received Safe Touches workshops in the Bronx.
