1 in 6 children will be sexually abused by the time they reach the age of 16. This equated to approximately 76, 000 children in the Black Country and Birmingham.

What Is Stop It Now

Child sexual abuse is a serious problem affecting large numbers of our children and young people. With help, many abused children can overcome their experiences, but some of them may be profoundly affected for the rest of their lives. The harm caused is preventable - adults who care for children, and even those who harm them, can act now to stop child sexual abuse.

Abuse thrives in an atmosphere of secrecy and taboo. Stop it Now! UK & Ireland is a major national and local campaign that aims to stop child sexual abuse by encouraging abusers and potential abusers to seek help and by giving adults the information they need to protect children effectively.

Stop it Now! believes that sexual abuse is a preventable public health problem and challenges adults to create a society that no longer tolerates the sexual abuse of children.

The goal of Stop It Now! is to protect children and to prevent child sexual abuse. The campaign seeks to achieve this by:-

Raising awareness - so that people understand the nature and scale of child sexual abuse; the behaviour of abusers and child victims and the warning signs of a developing potential problem.

Changing attitudes - so that people think differently about child sexual abuse, are more willing to talk about it and to listen to concerns from other adults or children; indeed, so that people see prevention of abuse as a real possibility and their responsibility.
Changing behaviour - so that people take appropriate action to prevent abuse, and seek help if they are worried about themselves or others.
Developing a public health approach - the scale of child sexual abuse requires a large-scale, systematic approach to prevention. The campaigns used to tackle smoking, drink-driving and domestic violence provide evidence that such campaigns are challenging but effective.

Stop It Now! In the Black Country and Birmingham

Our Approach:

Mobilise communities and families to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation
Raise awareness and educate communities and families about the way in which abusers operate and how they can act to protect children
Provide sources of support and advice to members of the public who are concerned about issues of child sexual abuse
Provide advice to adults and young people who are concerned about their own feelings, thoughts and behaviour that may present a risk of sexual harm to children
Identify and protect children who may be at risk of sexual abuse or exploitation

HOPE in Birmingham and the Black Country

In the Black Country and Birmingham, the local campaign is hosted by Barnardo’s, which partly funds the project, receiving further funding from the local children’s safeguard boards. Stop It Now! Black Country and Birmingham is guided by a strong steering group which includes representation from child protection, health, police, probation and voluntary organisations.

The project is underpinned by the message of HOPE:

Helpline must be available when needed

Offenders can be diverted from offending

Public protection needs to involve ‘the public’

Education is key to protecting children

Key Contacts: Stop it Now! Black Country and Birmingham

Project Manager:	Martine McFadden
Project Development Worker:	Sarb Masih
Project Development Worker:	Esha Johnson
Public Protection Education Officer:	Tessa Hawkes
Public Protection Education Officer:	Stephane Breton
Project Administrator:	Lisa Barrett


Office Tel:	01384 561 775
Office Fax:	01384 560 403
Email:blackcountry&birm@stopitnow.org.uk

Training Packages:

The project offers three training packages:

Programme 1: Keeping Children Safe in the Real World

The aims for this training are:

To raise awareness of child sexual abuse
To alleviate professional and personal anxieties regarding child sexual abuse
To advise participants of the work of Stop it Now! Black Country and Birmingham; A Community based preventative approach to child sexual abuse

Programme 2: New Technologies and Child Sexual Abuse

The aims for this training are:

To raise awareness of risk factors associated with internet use
To increase knowledge around MSN, SMS, Chat Rooms, Blogging and peer to peer communication
To understand grooming behaviours of abusers in virtual world
To consider safety strategies aimed at minimising risk

Programme 3: The Practitioners Role in the Primary and Tertiary Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse

The aims for this training are:

To inform practitioners of the role of Stop It Now!
To explore how practitioners can be involved in the primary and tertiary prevention of child sexual abuse within families and communities
To raise awareness of the warning signs of sexually abusive behaviours, of sexual abuse in children and healthy sexual development
To identify tools and resources to help in the prevention of child sexual abuse and the role of Stop It Now!

All training is free of charge, and can be tailored to meet the needs of an individual organisation.

Stop it Now! Helpline

Stop it Now! Freephone Helpline 0808 1000 900

Stop it Now! is supported by a freephone helpline. The helpline is aimed at three target groups:

Adult abusers and those at risk of abusing: to encourage them to recognise their behaviour as abusive or potentially abusive and to seek help to change. This includes adults using child pornography online or elsewhere and/or adults who have used the Internet to commit other sexual offences.
Family and friends concerned about adults displaying worrying sexual thoughts or behaviour towards a child: to encourage them to recognise the signs of abusive behaviour in those close to them and to seek advice about what action to take.
Parents, carers and other adults concerned about young people with worrying sexual behaviours: to encourage them to recognise the signs of concerning or abusive behaviour and seek advice about what positive action they can take.

Confidentiality Statement

The telephone Helpline offers a confidential service for people seeking advice and support. This means that callers do not have to give any identifying information such as address, telephone number or last name.

However if the information provided does identify a child who may be at risk or a criminal offence has been committed which the police may not be aware of, the information will be passed on the appropriate agencies.

Helpline Hours: The Stop it Now! Freephone Helpline - 0808 1000 900 - is available during the following hours:

Monday	9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Tuesday	9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Wednesday	9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Thursday	9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Friday	9.00 am – 7.00 pm

stop it now

Educate 2 Protect Introduction

Educate 2 Protect is a hard-hitting pilot aimed at educating adults about the dangers of child sexual abuse and how sex offenders are managed within the community.

The Home Office funded scheme will speak directly to parents, carers and guardians with the aim of informing them how they can best protect children and young people from sexual abuse.

The pilot will initially work in five areas in Birmingham, which have been chosen by population size and demographic breakdown to ensure a wide spectrum of the community is represented:

Sutton Four Oaks,
Aston
Handsworth Wood
Sparkbrook
Kings Norton

Aims and Objectives of Educate 2 Protect

Aims:

To empower the public to better protect children, young people and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse.
To increase public understanding of how sex offenders are managed within the community

Objectives and key messages:

To take every opportunity to promote that ‘Safeguarding is everybody’s business’
To provide adults with the information they need to recognise worrying behaviour and the confidence to take appropriate action when they suspect that a child is at risk from sexual abuse.
To inform communities of the facts concerning sexual offending behaviour and the management of risk

Help Available and what to do if you are concerned

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