Child Abuse Prevention Videos Suck At Teaching

A local resident has come forward to share their experience with an ineffective sexual abuse prevention video shown during their childhood. At the age of 9, they were subjected to a video that they described as “more immature than Sesame Street,” which failed to provide the necessary information and support they needed at the time.

The individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed frustration that the video was not engaging or age-appropriate. “If it had been more like Yello Dyno, I might have felt more comfortable speaking up about what was happening to me,” they said. They also noted that the video ironically made “Cool Cat from Cool Cat Saves The Kids” seem even cooler by comparison.

The resident shared an incident from their childhood where they found humor in a seemingly absurd statement made in the video about not taking out private parts when getting out ice cream. They recalled laughing at this part, which led to their teacher getting upset. “Well how is that not funny to a 9-year-old boy? I probably would have been less likely to laugh at that if I was 4 or something,” they reflected. They added that most 9-year-olds would likely laugh at the ice cream part due to how absurd and weird it is.

Adding to their insights, the resident highlighted a critical aspect that is often overlooked in these programs: the fact that if the abusive touch feels good, children are less likely to report it, especially after seeing a video that they perceive as cheesy or immature. This underscores the need for these programs to address this complex issue in a sensitive and comprehensive manner.

The resident also mentioned that while videos like “A Time To Tell” and “It Happened To Me” by the Boy Scouts of America are good at teaching these concepts, they are outdated and mainly targeted towards boys. This underscores the need for updated, inclusive resources that address the needs of all children.

The resident drew a parallel to the “Butt Out” episode of South Park, where the boys start smoking right after an anti-smoking presentation. They explained that the video ironically made the inappropriate behavior seem “cool,” similar to how the South Park episode had the opposite of its intended effect.

They also shared that at the time, they were already playing Vice City and getting into pop punk bands, which made the video seem even more out of touch and ineffective. “The original DARE program still made a bigger impact than that dumb video they showed me before I graduated second grade,” they added.

Local educators and organizations are being urged to review and update their materials to ensure they are effective in helping children understand and report abuse. “We need to listen to the feedback from those who have experienced these programs firsthand,” said a spokesperson for a child protection organization.

The resident hopes that by sharing their story, they can help improve these programs for future generations. “No child should feel like they can’t speak up because the resources available to them aren’t good enough,” they added.