SCAN PROGRAM SUMMARY
A Prevention Program of the National Children's Advocacy Center
The SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect) Model has been committed to breaking the cycle of child abuse before it starts by providing school-based child abuse prevention programs. SCAN utilizes several program modes designed to protect children from child abuse and neglect through the education of school-aged children, their parents, and other authority figures. SCAN's primary prevention programs are a component of the curriculum for the three school systems in Madison County, Alabama and serve children in grades K, 1, 3, 5, and 7. SCAN also conducts programs in the majority of private schools as well and it is the largest school-based prevention program in Alabama.
SCAN's principal goal is to empower children by teaching them the skills they need to protect themselves from child abuse, helping them understand the different forms of abuse and, if it is happening to them, how they can get help. Additionally, participants learn that it is NEVER the child's fault. Presentations also inform students how to react in threatening situations such as bullying as well as working to build their self-confidence. Children are also taught life skills that help them develop the ability to empathize with other youth that may be suffering from abuse or neglect. SCAN also empowers students to develop a higher emotional IQ by teaching them the skills to: manage impulses so they do not act destructively, work with others including bullies, solve conflict with their family members and deal with anger.
Unfortunately, parents and caretakers cannot be present to protect their children at all times; they must learn these skills so they can help to protect themselves.
SCAN's messages are presented using the following programs: Grades K and 1 "There is Someone to Talk To," puppet show and discussion including role-playing; grades 3 and 5 "Breaking the Silence," video and discussion including role-playing; and Grade 7 "From the Shadows," video and discussion including role-playing. SCAN also conducts programs for day care centers and day camps during the summer.
SCAN volunteers and staff conduct the program over two days with the teacher or counselor providing a handout and discussion on the third day.
SCAN also trains school personnel, childcare workers and any other individuals who work with children and teens so they will have the necessary tools to recognize signs of child abuse and how to report it to the proper authorities.
A full-time bachelor's level program manager and three part-time bachelor's level program specialists staff SCAN. Staff, volunteers and interns from local colleges must attend a two-day training session and observe the program in action before they are able to conduct SCAN presentations. SCAN staff also attend training about issues related to child abuse through the National Symposium on Child Abuse and any other training opportunities hosted by other agencies in north Alabama.
Research has demonstrated that "adult women who had not participated in a school prevention program during childhood were about twice as likely to have experienced child sexual abuse as those who had participated in a program" (Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs: Do They Decrease the Occurrence of Child Sexual Abuse? Gibson & Leitenberg, 2000).
Research has also established that children who participate in child abuse prevention programs are more likely to report abuse than those who children who do not (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Child Victimization: A Resource for Communities When Choosing a Program to Teach Personal Safety to Children). School counselors and teachers report to us that the rate of disclosure typically increases within the first two weeks after the SCAN program has taken place. Children may not have had the knowledge or courage to disclose this information if they had not been exposed to the SCAN program.
During the 1990's research has indicated that child abuse prevention programs are more effective with multiple sessions in the classroom. From this directive, SCAN expanded the third, fifth, and seventh grade programs to three sessions each during the 1998-1999 school year. In 2000, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children put together a panel of experts in the field and released Guidelines for Programs to Reduce Victimization: A Resource for Communities When Choosing a Program to Teach Personal Safety. Two of the key components to successful programs are to "offer concepts that will help children build self confidence in order to better handle and protect themselves in all types of situations," and programs should "have multiple program components that are repeated several years in a row." SCAN continues to evolve as the field develops more effective ways to meet the personal safety needs of children.
Program outcomes include several different issues. Students will be less vulnerable to child abuse because they are exposed to personal safety lessons through our programs. We conduct pre- and post-tests on knowledge gained on a random sampling of students in one grade each year. Teachers and counselors will also become more aware of the benefits of prevention and gain knowledge on identifying and responding to child abuse. Packets of information on abuse are distributed to teachers and counselors.
If you are interested in starting a SCAN Model in your community, the NCAC can provide detailed information and consultation. Contact Beth Jackson at bjackson@nationalcac.org.