This was a comment written by a teacher on the back of a CAP evaluation sheet. It is a powerful endorsement for the work being done by the New Jersey Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Project. The combination of an excellent curriculum and skilled facilitators have produced many successes for the program.
The New World Dictionary describes “success” as “a favorable outcome or result”. Their definition can surely be applied to the important work NJ CAP has been doing since 1985. Parents, teachers and children have learned and used our valuable prevention message and our CAP facilitators have intervened in and helped to stop hundreds of assault situations. Schools, law enforcement and local DYFS offices (our child protection agency) have learned to work together and their collaboration has resulted in a safer environment for children. NJ CAP has certainly had its share of “favorable outcomes and results” in prevention, intervention and collaboration. Below are just a few examples of why our state continues to offer this program to every public school.
These stories come from the many CAP Projects across America and around the world. In addition to these, there are thousands of other stories which are never shared publicly or which never go beyond a parent, a friend or a trusted teacher. Although our impact on a community can often be measured statistically, these stories are always the most touching, most memorable and most convincing reasons given by legislators, community leaders, educators and parents as they request CAP in their communities. For these children and thousands like them, CAP has made a significant difference in their lives.
A nine year old girl disclosed that her older sister's husband throws her against the wall and hits her whenever he visits her house. Her parents give her ice packs to keep the bruising and swelling down. She was also fearful because she saw him drop the baby in the playpen. She realized, because of the CAP workshop, that she should speak up for the baby, especially since the baby is unable to speak for herself. She also felt empowered to speak on her own behalf. A referral was made.
An eleven year old girl disclosed to a CAP worker that her 15 year old brother touches her, tells her to take off her clothes, touches her in her private places and threatens to say she likes it and is a part of it if she tells. She was frightened that she wouldn't be believed. She repeated her experience to the school nurse and a report was made.
A seven year old boy was at his local YMCA for a swimming lesson. Because his mother could not go into the men's locker room, he had to go in by himself to change. While he was changing, he was approached by a middle age man who attempted to molest him. He ran from the locker room and told his mother what had happened to him. The police were immediately called. The officers interviewing the boy asked several questions about the man's face and hair. They were particularly interested in whether or not he had thinning hair, perhaps a bald spot. The boy, who was getting frustrated, told them he had been in a CAP workshop and had been told to look for distinguishing features on any stranger who might be a problem. He said, "I can't answer all your questions about his head because he was so tall. But, I can tell you what his legs looked like!" Based on his accurate description, the offender was apprehended and arrested. The boy's mother wrote a thank you note to the local CAP project.
An eight year old child told us that a couple of weeks ago, someone had come into their class and done a "Stranger Danger" program. Since that time, she said she had bad dreams about being abducted. She told the CAP facilitator she felt much better after our program because now there were things she could do to stay safe.
"As an abuse survivor, I only wish there had been a workshop like CAP for me when I was growing up. I would have had someone to tell. I feel I can give my children some real practical advice now. I have been waiting for a workshop like CAP for years."
Following a parent workshop, a couple shared this amazing story with CAP and credit the program with opening their eyes to their children's terrifying experience.
A group of families, with adults who had been friends since college, always spent their Fourth of July together at a farm owned by one of the families. While preparing for the weekend trip, the six year old daughter of one family did not want to go. Despite her crying and protesting, the family packed up and went to the farm. Once there, the child would not leave her mother's side. The next day after learning that the adults were going to leave the children with the caretaker of the farm, the little girl told her mother that when all the adults leave, the caretaker makes them go down in the basement and play with "icky toys". The word "basement" triggered the mother's memory of a recent CAP workshop which she had attended where a CAP facilitator described a molestation which had occurred to a child in a basement.
With this story in mind, the mother sat down and listened carefully to her daughter. The child went on to describe how the caretaker would get the children into the basement, molest them, have oral sex with them and use "special toys" on them. He threatened that if they told their parents that they would be punished for using these "toys" and that he would never let them ride the horses which the children loved so much.
The mother immediately reported the disclosure to the police and, as a result, the caretaker was arrested and is currently serving a sentence in a correctional facility. The mother said that if she had not attended the CAP workshop she may not have taken her daughter seriously and might have thought that she was just having separation anxiety. Both parents were thankful to the program.
TEACHERS BENEFIT FROM CAP:
“This program opens new doors to my students. For the first time, I feel like I can talk to them about a subject that was more or less taboo before CAP."
“Forever impressed on my mind will be the little face of ‘Mark’, a nine year old boy who sat very still during the Uncle role-play. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. Although he did not disclose anything during review time a process was begun with the teachers at school to watch him carefully. I watched him closely during the classroom role-plays and felt like I was seeing a reflection of myself at nine years old. For a few seconds, I longed that someone had shown me what Mark's eyes saw and told me what Mark's ears heard. I believe his life will be different somehow because he heard the CAP message.”
