NCAC prevention director speaks on how parents can help prevent child sex abuse

MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) had nearly 900 multi-disciplinary case reviews in Madison County last year.

These are cases throughout all of Madison County, so it is not limited to just the county’s school system. Amanda Jarrett with NCAC told News 19 that not all of these cases ended in charges or arrests, but they were cases reviewed by the multi-disciplinary team.

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Sometimes it can be hard to know if a child is being abused by someone within the education system or authority figure.

News 19’s Alexa Harley spoke with Community Awareness and Prevention Director Pam Clasgens about what signs a child may show in the home if he or she is being abused.

She says a big sign is any extreme change in a child’s behavior.

“For instance, a child who’s been very involved in sports – maybe they don’t want to do that anymore. They were a very outgoing child who isn’t anymore. So they might withdraw from things that they enjoy doing or people they enjoy being around,” Clasgens said.

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Additionally, she said that one of the best things parents can do is foster a safe space for communication between themselves and their child.

“Being sure that your child knows that they can tell you about anything that is going on, that is one thing that is really important. But also parents can talk to their kids about people who make them feel uncomfortable, and talk to kids about how nobody has the right to make you feel uncomfortable, not just when they touch you but really in any way,” Clasgens said.

The advocacy center offers training for all adults to help prevent child abuse, not just in schools, but in all facets of society.

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