The month of April marks both Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
For this officials in Bellefonte talked to the public this Afternoon about changing the way people think and talk about domestic violence and child abuse.
Officials from the YMCA of Centre County, Children and Youth Services, Centre Safe among several other groups gathered at the Centre County Courthouse lawn for an event called Cultivating a Community of Care.
Speakers emphasizing that it’s more than just a criminal issue. It’s about physical and mental health as well as social justice for all.
The director of Centre Safe says they’ve helped 500 people last year.
350 of those served were female, 92 were male, and 7 identified as transgender. This really reinforces for me the reality that sexual violence and child abuse impact all ages, all races, all gender
identities.”
The YMCA of Centre County has a program called the stewards of children.
It’s a 2 hour training program for adults to learn how to recognize, prevent, and react to child sexual abuse.
A spokesperson for the YMCA says they’ve trained 8000 adults in Centre County so far.
That training is ongoing throughout the year at all YMCA of Centre County facilities.
