Why is abuse prevalent here?

Over the course of the last month, I have delivered a series of podcasts on why is abuse prevalent in different sectors. For five weeks we unpacked the variety of reasons why abuse was prevalent in the faith, education, sport, camp, and nursing home sectors. Each sector had their own unique reasons that you won’t want to miss especially if you are involved in this sector as a family member, volunteer or staff member. We did find though that common elements emerged. Four most common reasons abuse is prevalent among some sectors...

1) Within each sector there are power differentials, that cause an imbalance of power, authority, influence and control. Whether it is a coach interacting with a young athlete, a youth pastor mentoring a high school student, a counsellor interacting with a camper, a teacher tutoring a student, or a Personal Support Worker assisting a disabled person, there are power differentials at play that cause one to be dependent on the other.

2) Within each sector we discovered a tremendous amount of love and trust: Humans ache for community, and whether that is our church community or our favourite sport, or the camps we hold fond memories of, we deeply desire our children to be engaged with that community as much as we are or were as children. In speaking with a friend that has her daughter in a sport that she too was involved in, she said to me, “I love the sport.... It is the community we love... we trust them completely.” When we are so blinded by trust we can miss recognizing those that are grooming our children and families.

3) These sectors all serve the vulnerable sector where it is, at times, challenging to provide direct supervision and oversight. Due to the vast number of students, campers, or residents, and the size of the facility or property, (many classrooms, cabins, individual rooms), it is near impossible to provide oversight and supervision at all times. When supervision decreases, risk increases.

4) Similarly, these sectors all provide opportunity for isolation to occur – whether that be one-on-one coaching, mentoring, personal care, counselling, or tutoring, they all provide opportunity for individuals to be alone with children, youth or vulnerable adults. When isolation increases, risk of abuse increases.

If you haven’t done so already, we encourage you to subscribe to our podcast on YouTube or on Apple Podcast and listen in to our weekly discussions.

Did you know? April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in the USA. October is Child Abuse Prevention Month in Canada. National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of communities working together to help families thrive and prevent child maltreatment.

During the month of April for every app that is downloaded from the Apple iTunes store or Google Play Store, we will donate $1 to a child abuse recovery program. Visit the Apple Store or the Google Play Store to download the PlanToProtect app.

Are you wishing you could travel but can't?

Join Melodie for the ISPCAN virtual Milan 2021 conference in June. International Society of the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect conference. Melodie will be one of the seminar speakers at this conference. CLICK HERE to Join colleagues and child maltreatment experts from all disciplines and around the world to network and share knowledge, research, and best practice at ISPCAN's first-ever virtual European Congress. In partnership with CISMAI, our Country Partner in Italy, and Universitàdegli Studi di Milano Bicocca, ISPCAN Milan offers a scientific program featuring evidence-based approaches and interventions to prevent violence against children and support parents and special populations. In addition to the scientific program, we have several special workshops and meetings available, plus some opportunities to sample Italian culture from afar. Benvenuto!

Have You Met Marlene?

Our Director of Member Care & Recruitment! Marlene joined Plan to Protect® in October 2020 as Director of Member Care and Recruitment and is committed to helping people and organizations. She has gained experience in different roles throughout her career with private and non-profit organizations. She knows she is truly blessed to be able to serve alongside committed colleagues at Plan to Protect®, that serve and protect the most vulnerable with care and compassion by providing services towards building up people and communities. Outside of the office Marlene loves family life, quiet mornings reading with a warm cup of coffee as well as learning. Marlene attained a degree in Labour Studies and Sociology from York University. Marlene is known for her caring heart, listening ears and willingness to help.  Marlene welcomes the opportunity to learn more about you and your organization and the people in your care!

Why is Marlene Serious About Safety? A video clip from Serious About Safety Masterclass

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! Did you know that our membership fees begin as low as $225?  For this low annual fee, you will receive: Access to Plan to Protect® updates Plan to Protect® manual Email and phone support Special Interest Webinars Training registrations for our school Access to our library of recorded webinars Use of our Plan to Protect® member logo Networking opportunities Discounts on our services

With every membership purchased in April, we will give one membership to a newly formed not-for-profit or global initiative. Double your efforts to prevent abuse! "We have been able to meet the standard over a number of years of implementation and now the policies are ingrained in the way that we do programs from babies to seniors. It also greatly assisted when we needed to do an audit of our protection practices to show where we were deficient and what areas we could celebrate." - Lowell H. Click here to become a member today!

Check out our training in April:

April 15, 2021, 12:00pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time Plan to Protect® Special Interest Webinar: "Safeguarding Series: Safe Camps" Click Here for details and registration. April 20, 2021, 12:30pm - 1:00pm Eastern Time Plan to Protect® 101 Click Here for details and registration. Training that will meet the insurance requirements to qualify for abuse coverage: April 22, 2021, 8:00pm - 9:30pm Eastern Time Plan to Protect® Refresher LIVE Webinar Click Here for details and registration. April 24, 2021, 1:00pm - 3:30pm Eastern Time Plan to Protect® Orientation LIVE Webinar Click Here for details and registration. All trainings are scheduled in Eastern Time SEE OUR COMPLETE 2021 TRAINING SCHEDULE AT www.plantoprotect.com/schedule

Sign up today for the Plan to Protect® monthly Subscription Service...

Experience what it means to do better!  The Plan to Protect® monthly Subscription Service will provide you with the tools, tips and momentum to do better in abuse prevention.  Share the service with your team members and together demonstrate your commitment to doing better! Each month you will receive: The book or resource of the month (valued at $20-$35). Five training registrations for Plan to Protect® training and/or special interest webinars on the Plan to Protect® School at www.plantoprotectschool.com (valued at $150). Discounted pricing on Criminal Record Checks ($8 savings per person). Monthly group coaching call with Charlie Smith-Brake, Director of Policy and Consulting (valued at $125). Email and phone support (unlimited value).

Sign-up Today! The first 30 subscribers will save $10 per month - $89 per month plus tax (SRP $99 per month). Subscribe monthly or annually.  Purchase an annual subscription & receive 1 month free! 

Some conditions apply: Minimum 3-month subscription. Training registration rollover each month while subscription is active. No other discounts apply. 30 days cancellation notice required. No refunds.  Click here for more information!